By Maria Almenoar

MEDIA group Singapore Press Holdings is casting its talent net wider.

In addition to giving scholarships to those waiting to enter univeristy, SPH will also offer these to students already in their second or third year of study, and even those who are interested in doing postgraduate studies.

SPH chairman Tony Tan announced this on Thursday at an SPH scholarship award presentation at New Centre. Of the seven students awarded the journalism scholarships, four will be going abroad and three will study in local universities.

They spent six months interning at SPH newspapers before being granted the scholarship, which recognises academic and co-curricular excellence, aptitude for journalism and character.

They are: Miss Chia Yan Min, Mr Ng Soon Kiat, Miss Seow Kia Hui, Miss Lisabel Ting, Miss Charissa Yong and Miss Melody Zaccheus and Mr Derrick Ho.

Dr Tan also presented scholarship certificates to 16 students who are children of SPH employees and newspaper vendors. They will study in local polytechnics, junior colleges and university level.

Four students were awarded this year's SPH Foundation-Lim Kim San Memorial Scholarship. In his speech, Dr Tan highlighted quality journalism as being vital to SPH's continual success as a media organisation.

He also lauded the merits of journalism as a career of choice. 'The life of a journalist in today's fast-changing media landscape is exciting, challenging and rewarding. A career in journalism is like no other', he said.