SINGAPORE: The board of SPH Media has tasked its audit and risk committee to further investigate the case of inflated circulation numbers, with the help of legal advisers, and decide on what steps need to be taken.
The media company, which publishes titles such as the Straits Times, The Business Times and Lianhe Zaobao, came under scrutiny earlier this month after it was reported that daily circulation numbers were inflated.
In a statement on Friday (Jan 20), SPH Media gave further details of the discrepancies discovered from its preliminary findings from a review, which covered the period between September 2020 and March 2022.
The audit committee will focus its investigations on these preliminary findings, as well as commission legal advisers to assist in the probe.
The findings will be reported directly to the board of SPH Media Holdings.
It was reported on Jan 9 that SPH Media's daily circulation numbers were found to have been inflated by between 85,000 and 95,000, or about 10 to 12 per cent of the reported daily average circulation.
There were instances where copies were printed, counted for circulation and then destroyed, as well as double-counting of subscriptions.
In addition, lapsed contracts continued to be counted into circulation data, reported the Straits Times.
To ensure data accuracy and accountability, SPH Media said in its statement on Friday that it will strengthen the separation of duties among staff, with enhanced checks and balances.
The company will also ensure more frequent internal audit reviews.
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The media company, which publishes titles such as the Straits Times, The Business Times and Lianhe Zaobao, came under scrutiny earlier this month after it was reported that daily circulation numbers were inflated.
In a statement on Friday (Jan 20), SPH Media gave further details of the discrepancies discovered from its preliminary findings from a review, which covered the period between September 2020 and March 2022.
- A total of 49,000 average daily copies - or 5 per cent of total daily circulation then - of news titles were recorded as circulation numbers but not distributed. This is a matter "of particular concern," said SPH Media, adding that the majority of these were digital copies.
- Five thousand average daily copies were recorded after contracts had lapsed.
- Seventeen thousand average daily copies were recorded as a result of a failure to check that reported circulation numbers were accurate against actual usage tracked in the system.
- In addition, there was a possible discrepancy of 19,000 average daily copies, which included a barter arrangement with another publisher.
The audit committee will focus its investigations on these preliminary findings, as well as commission legal advisers to assist in the probe.
The findings will be reported directly to the board of SPH Media Holdings.
It was reported on Jan 9 that SPH Media's daily circulation numbers were found to have been inflated by between 85,000 and 95,000, or about 10 to 12 per cent of the reported daily average circulation.
There were instances where copies were printed, counted for circulation and then destroyed, as well as double-counting of subscriptions.
In addition, lapsed contracts continued to be counted into circulation data, reported the Straits Times.
To ensure data accuracy and accountability, SPH Media said in its statement on Friday that it will strengthen the separation of duties among staff, with enhanced checks and balances.
The company will also ensure more frequent internal audit reviews.
Continue reading...