First ReadSG with ST x NLB talk engages audience with lighthearted reading insights

(From left) Correspondent Clement Yong, who moderated the panel, with executive producer Farzanah Friday, journalist Wong Yang, senior correspondent Natasha Zachariah and video journalist See Kai Wen at the first ReadSG With ST And NLB talk at the Central Library on Oct 29.

Published Oct 30, 2026, 01:30 PM

Updated Oct 30, 2026, 02:33 PM

The first ReadSG With ST And NLB talk drew about 70 people to the Central Library. Panellists said much reading goes into a 90-second news video.

ST journalists said they read widely for work, from news articles to research papers and old clippings. They also shared book picks, including 'The Great Reclamation' and 'The Midnight Library'.

The series supports NLB’s five-year ReadSG push to read 15 minutes a day. It will return in January with talks on reading, health, travel and well-being.

SINGAPORE - That short 90-second news video you see on The Straits Times (ST) is supported by hours of unseen labour.

ST video journalist See Kai Wen said at the first ReadSG With ST And NLB talk on Oct 29 : “A lot of research goes into that 90 seconds, just to crunch down a 300-word article into 30 or 40 seconds. It’s quite difficult.”

About 70 people attended the session at the Central Library. It was the first in a series of talks by The Straits Times and the National Library and Archives Board (NLB) in support of ReadSG, NLB’s five-year movement encouraging people to read for at least 15 minutes a day .

The panel, titled What Fuels The Team Behind Your Newsfeed?, featured See, executive producer Farzanah Friday, journalist Wong Yang and senior correspondent Natasha Zachariah. It was moderated by arts correspondent Clement Yong.

The evening began with a 15-minute Bring Your Own Book segment, in which attendees read the books they had brought.

The panelists, who mainly work on videos and podcasts, said they read widely for work, from news articles to research papers to old newspaper clippings from SPH Media’s information resource centre.

(From left) Correspondent Clement Yong, who moderated the panel, with executive producer Farzanah Friday, journalist Wong Yang, senior correspondent Natasha Zachariah and video journalist See Kai Wen, who shared how they make time to read. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY

(From left) Correspondent Clement Yong, who moderated the panel, with executive producer Farzanah Friday, journalist Wong Yang, senior correspondent Natasha Zachariah and video journalist See Kai Wen, who shared how they make time to read.

Each panelist also recommended a book. The picks included The Great Reclamation by Rachel Heng, a novel that charts Singapore’s history from the 1940s to the 1960s; The Midnight Library by Matt Haig; The Essential Rumi, a collection of poems by the Persian poet; and Dennis The Dragon, a children’s picture book.

On making time to read, See, who reads e-books on his phone , said: “What helps me is the airplane mode function. Once you turn it on, nothing really disturbs you, and you can just read however long you want.”

Wong Yang said: “I think it’s very important to not be too hard on yourself. This morning I read the paper, and maybe that’s enough.”

The mood was relaxed and convivial . Friday drew laughs when she admitted she once picked up a book just because it had a pretty cover, only to realise by the end that the cover was the best part of the book.

Retiree Susan Kwek, 68 (right), came to hear the ST journalists whose stories she reads. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY

Retiree Susan Kwek, 68 (right), came to hear the ST journalists whose stories she reads.

Retiree Susan Kwek, 68, who reads ST’s arts and review pages, said: “I wanted to hear in person what they say, particularly Wong Yang and Clement Yong.”

Charis Lee Yean Yean, 20, a psychology student at James Cook University, signed up the day before after spotting the event in her print copy of the newspaper.

She returned to reading regularly only recently: “I used to always carry a book around with me growing up. It gave me a sense of safety as a kid, because it’s like your barrier against the outside world.”

Psychology student Charis Lee, 20, who recently got back into reading, asked the panel whether a podcast could help more people discover reading. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY

Psychology student Charis Lee, 20, who recently got back into reading, asked the panel whether a podcast could help more people discover reading.

During the question-and-answer segment, she noted that reading can make people feel like outliers in a fast-paced, digital society. She asked whether a podcast could be started where readers share book recommendations, including on niche interests.

ST editor Jaime Ho, who was in the audience, called it a good idea and said he would get the panellists to consider starting a podcast or video podcast about the books they read.

Lee said the session also made her more open to reading Singapore literature : “I’m going to pick up SingLit.”

The series will take a break during the school holidays and return in January. Chief columnist and senior editor, publications, Sumiko Tan, and Invest editor Tan Ooi Boon will speak on Mind, Body and Wealth, about how reading can help one stay active and financially healthy.

In February, travel editor Clara Lock will share her tips in Travelling Well: Read Your Way To A Stress-free Holiday. In March, correspondent Akshita Nanda, who covers the health and wellness beat, will speak on Keeping Well: Self-care And Mental Well-being.

Find out more at str.sg/readsg .

National Library Board

（从左至右）主持小组讨论的记者 Clement Yong，以及执行制片人 Farzanah Friday、记者 Wong Yang、高级记者 Natasha Zachariah 和视频记者 See Kai Wen，于 10 月 29 日在中央图书馆参加了首届 ReadSG With ST And NLB 讲座。

发布于2026年10月30日下午1:30

更新于2026年10月30日下午2:33

首场由《海峡时报》和国家图书馆管理局联合举办的ReadSG讲座吸引了约70人来到中央图书馆。与会嘉宾表示，制作一段90秒的新闻视频需要阅读大量的资料。

《海峡时报》记者表示，他们为了工作广泛阅读，从新闻文章到研究论文和旧剪报，无所不包。他们还分享了一些推荐书籍，包括《大填海》和《午夜图书馆》。

该系列讲座旨在支持新加坡国家图书馆管理局（NLB）为期五年的“ReadSG”阅读推广活动，鼓励民众每天阅读15分钟。讲座将于明年1月回归，主题涵盖阅读、健康、旅行和身心健康。

新加坡——你在《海峡时报》(ST)上看到的短短 90 秒新闻视频背后，是无数个小时不为人知的劳动。

《海峡时报》视频记者 See Kai Wen 在 10 月 29 日举行的首届 ReadSG With ST And NLB 讲座上表示：“为了把一篇 300 字的文章压缩到 30 或 40 秒，需要做大量的研究。这相当困难。”

约有70人参加了在中央图书馆举行的讲座。这是《海峡时报》和国家图书馆及档案馆管理局（NLB）为支持“ReadSG”活动而举办的一系列讲座中的第一场。“ReadSG”是NLB发起的一项为期五年的运动，旨在鼓励人们每天至少阅读15分钟。

这场题为“是什么驱动着你的新闻团队？”的座谈会，嘉宾包括See、执行制片人Farzanah Friday、记者Wong Yang和资深记者Natasha Zachariah。座谈会由艺术记者Clement Yong主持。

当晚活动以15分钟的“自带书籍”环节开始，与会者朗读了他们带来的书籍。

小组成员主要从事视频和播客制作，他们表示，为了工作，他们广泛阅读，从新闻文章到研究论文，再到新加坡报业控股媒体信息资源中心的旧报纸剪报。

（从左至右）主持座谈会的记者Clement Yong，以及执行制片人Farzanah Friday、记者Wong Yang、资深记者Natasha Zachariah和视频记者See Kai Wen，他们分享了自己如何抽出时间阅读。ST PHOTO：GIN TAY

（从左至右）主持小组讨论的记者 Clement Yong，执行制片人 Farzanah Friday，记者 Wong Yang，高级记者 Natasha Zachariah 和视频记者 See Kai Wen，他们分享了自己如何抽出时间阅读。

每位评委还推荐了一本书。推荐书籍包括瑞秋·亨（Rachel Heng）的《大填海》（The Great Reclamation），这是一部讲述新加坡从20世纪40年代到60年代历史的小说；马特·海格（Matt Haig）的《午夜图书馆》（The Midnight Library）；波斯诗人鲁米的诗集《鲁米精选》（The Essential Rumi）；以及儿童绘本《丹尼斯龙》（Dennis The Dragon）。

谈到如何抽出时间阅读，习惯用手机阅读电子书的See说：“对我来说，飞行模式很有帮助。一旦开启飞行模式，就不会有任何事情打扰你，你可以想读多久就读多久。”

黄阳说：“我觉得对自己不要太苛刻非常重要。今天早上我读了报纸，也许这就足够了。”

气氛轻松愉快。弗莱迪的一番话引得大家哈哈大笑，她坦言自己曾经因为一本书的封面漂亮而拿起它，结果读到最后才发现，封面才是这本书最精彩的部分。

68岁的退休人士苏珊·郭（右）前来聆听《海峡时报》记者的报道，她经常阅读这些记者的报道。《海峡时报》摄影：金泰

68岁的退休人士苏珊·郭（右）前来聆听《海峡时报》记者们的报道，她经常阅读这些记者的报道。

68岁的退休人士苏珊·郭（Susan Kwek）经常阅读《海峡时报》的艺术和评论版面，她说：“我想亲自听听他们怎么说，特别是黄阳和杨克莱门特。”

20岁的Charis Lee Yean Yean是詹姆斯库克大学的心理学学生，她在报纸上看到活动信息后，于活动前一天报名参加。

她最近才重新养成定期阅读的习惯：“我小时候总是随身带着一本书。它给了我一种安全感，因为它就像一道抵御外界的屏障。”

20岁的心理学学生Charis Lee最近重新开始阅读，她向专家组提问，播客是否能帮助更多人发现阅读的乐趣。（海峡时报照片：GIN TAY）

20岁的心理学学生Charis Lee最近重新开始阅读，她向小组询问播客是否能帮助更多人发现阅读的乐趣。

在问答环节，她指出，在快节奏的数字化社会中，阅读会让人感到格格不入。她询问是否可以开办一个播客节目，让读者分享书籍推荐，包括一些小众领域的书籍。

《海峡时报》编辑 Jaime Ho 当时也在现场，他称赞这是一个好主意，并表示他会建议小组成员考虑制作一档关于他们所读书籍的播客或视频播客。

李女士表示，这次交流也让她更愿意阅读新加坡文学：“我要开始读新加坡文学了。”

该系列讲座将在学校假期期间暂停，并于一月恢复。首席专栏作家兼出版高级编辑陈澄子（Sumiko Tan）和投资编辑陈爱文（Tan Ooi Boon）将以“身心与财富”为主题，探讨阅读如何帮助人们保持活力和财务健康。

二月份，旅游编辑克拉拉·洛克将在《旅行之道：阅读助您轻松度假》一书中分享她的旅行秘诀。三月份，负责健康养生领域的记者阿克希塔·南达将就“保持健康：自我关爱与心理健康”这一主题发表演讲。

了解更多信息，请访问 str.sg/readsg。

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