How does Straitstimes.com engage with its readers through comments and social media?

StraitsTimes.com engages with its readers through comments and social media by actively fostering interactive and multimedia-rich experiences and by targeting younger audiences with innovative digital content. It uses vibrant videos, interactive storytelling, and visually immersive features like "Home In Focus" to draw readers into deeper engagement with local stories.

On social media, The Straits Times has developed initiatives such as the "News Challenge" quiz on Instagram, which is a weekly interactive quiz designed to engage younger users in current affairs. This initiative has significantly grown their Instagram following by over 60% in a year and won a gold award for Social Media Engagement at the Asian Digital Media Awards.

Additionally, The Straits Times has identified untapped audience segments on platforms like Telegram, using data-driven insights from reader surveys to refine engagement strategies and improve subscriber onboarding and content sampling, thereby encouraging earlier and richer interaction with readers.

Regarding comments, while The Straits Times values the comments section as a space for critical discussion and community interaction, it aims for it to be a companion to the original articles, fostering thoughtful dialogue rather than just casual remarks.

In summary, The Straits Times combines data-driven audience insights, interactive digital storytelling, and targeted social media initiatives to engage readers effectively through comments and social platforms.