SINGAPORE – As a 17-year-old Raffles Institution student, Stacey Ngiam used to sit in her school field and look at the SPH Media building across the highway.
As an avid listener of UFM100.3, a Chinese-language SPH Radio station, Ms Ngiam was inspired by the station’s ability to connect with its listeners and hoped to make the same impact with her future career.
“At that time, many of my friends were going into law and medicine. I wanted to pursue something different, such as media and journalism.
“I am also passionate about sharing people’s stories, and SPH is a very good space to kick-start that journey,” she said.
In 2025, Ms Ngiam, now 20, joined SPH as a radio programming intern at UFM100.3 after her A levels.
After a few months, she made the leap to journalism at The Straits Times, drawn by her interest in speaking to people and hearing their life stories.
She was assigned to the courts and crime cluster but was given leeway to explore her own interests in her two months in the newsroom.
“I am very thankful my supervisors Andre and Amelia pushed me to write a story about private candidates taking their A levels,” said Ms Ngiam, who was one of the two recipients of the SPH Media journalism scholarship in 2025 at a ceremony at the SPH News Centre on Aug 1.
She will pursue an undergraduate degree in communications studies at NTU in August.
SPH Media’s journalism scholarships provide full tuition, a monthly allowance and practical experience through internship opportunities.
The bond period depends on the university that the scholars have enrolled in, their course of study and the duration of study.
Ms Ngiam, who later took her A levels as a private candidate, said: “I struggled to find media coverage about the unconventional journey that we take.”
“I received a lot of support from social media and Telegram channels when I was sitting for my A levels, so I wanted to give back. I also wanted to let future generations of private candidates know that they are not alone.”
SPH Media chief executive Chan Yeng Kit said at the ceremony that the company hopes to “provide news and content that are trusted, credible and essential” in a time when truth competes with misinformation.
The latest Reuters Digital News Report shows that
ST is Singapore’s most trusted news brand
, he said, and independent surveys indicate that SPH’s products reach more than eight in 10 residents in Singapore.
“All these results are only possible because of the people who have chosen to dedicate themselves to tell the stories, shape the conversations and earn the trust,” said Mr Chan.
“They are the journalists, editors, producers, photographers, creators and support staff. They believe in the power of storytelling and its ability to shape a better and more connected world.
“That is why talent development is so important to us, and why we continue to invest heavily in grooming journalistic talent – from young interns to newsroom leaders,” he added.
Another journalism scholarship recipient is Ms Vishruta Nandakumar, 19, who will pursue her studies in life sciences at NUS in August.
Ms Vishruta was a science student throughout school, but her time in the Tamil Murasu newsroom helped her realise her love for journalism.
An interview with an elderly woman who managed to hike a mountain a year after heart surgery gave her the courage to apply for the scholarship.
“(She) mentioned that if life is always certain, there is no need for hope or trust,” said Ms Vishruta, who hopes that she can fill the gap between science and journalism in the future by exploring scientific journalism.
Ms Megan Wee, 21, received the SPH Media-Temasek Foundation scholarship.
This scholarship is open to students from NUS’ department of communications and new media or those pursuing data science and economics, and political science.
Those studying public policy and global affairs at NTU or in the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information at the university also qualify.
Awardees will be given internship opportunities, including a one-year paid traineeship upon graduation.
During her three months at ST’s business desk, Ms Wee’s most memorable story was an article about the struggles that fresh graduates face today.
She said she received a lot of support from her editors, who encouraged her to be more ambitious and confident in writing better stories.
“One of the best pieces of advice that I’ve received from one of my editors was that I should not regard myself as an intern.
“I should think of myself as a reporter, since I get a full byline on the paper,” said Ms Wee, who is starting her third year at the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information in August.
