Lower-income hit hardest by Covid-19, as better off still buying stocks, homes, cars

Extract from Author

COVID-19 has handed Singapore its deepest recession since the country's independence, but the pain inflicted by the pandemic has been unevenly spread.

Economists have dubbed the crisis as one primed for a "K-shaped" recovery, one where different parts of the economy...

Author’s Reflection

What is your personal takeaway from your SOAP story?
I guess this is one of those stories that one wishes needn't have to be reported, as it centres on how the pandemic has widened the chasm between the have and the have-not's. But here's hoping that shedding light on issues like that - with cold, hard data to back things up - can lead to constructive impact down the road to narrow the gap.

Now that your story has been published for some time, do you have any reflections to share post-publishing?
It will definitely be worth re-looking some of these metrics down the road and examine how the situation has panned out. An examination like that can also help us weed out "temporary" inequalities brought on by the pandemic vs that which is more persistent and structural.

What did you hope to convey to readers through this story?
We wanted to highlight gaps within our society that policymakers and other powers-that-be could proactively change.

How do you feel for being recognised for your work?
Pretty surprised, frankly. I guess it's also an encouragement to push the envelope and continue to pursue stories that matter.

Written by
Kelly Ng,
The Business Times

Monday,
26 October 2020

Merit Award, Story