The restaurant-bar was supposed to be on its last legs. Yet when the young reporter walked into Wala Wala Cafe Bar a week after breaking the story about its impending closure, the place was buzzing.
The Holland Village establishment was packed with both regular customers and patrons who had read about the closure.
For The Business Times reporter Chong Xin Wei, the turnout underscored how journalism can put a spotlight on issues affecting the wider community.
“I think the story brought attention to the struggles of Wala Wala and other food and beverage establishments here,” says the 24-year-old who covers the property beat.
Acting on a tip-off, she got in touch with Wala Wala owner Stanley Yeo for an interview. He confirmed his plan to shut the nightspot after more than 30 years, citing rising rent and dwindling footfall.
Her exclusive story published in June 2025 set off an unexpected outpouring of support that eventually reversed Wala Wala’s fortunes. In August, Wala Wala announced on Instagram that its landlord had “kindly offered revised terms that make it feasible for us to stay”.
That was the kind of impact SPH Media scholar Xin Wei never imagined when she first considered business journalism as a career.
“I thought business news would be dry and number-oriented,” she admits. “I am bad at mathematics, so I did not feel that it would be a fit for me.”
She was first exposed to journalism early in life. As part of a talent development programme in primary school, she was introduced to the basics of broadcast journalism, which included hosting and interviewing.
However, it was only while awaiting university entrance that her interest in journalism was sparked during a six-month temporary contract job as an administrative assistant with The Straits Times Schools team in 2020. ST Schools, which publishes content aimed at students, shares the same office as The Straits Times.
“Although it was only for a month before the pandemic forced people to work remotely, I got to experience and see for myself what a busy newsroom looked like, and how everyone gets to work together in it. I liked the environment, and after speaking to some of my colleagues in ST Schools who had journalism experience, I felt like this was something I could pursue,” she recalls.
The experience inspired her to apply to the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) after her A-level results were released. At NTU, she joined the student-run news publication Soapbox SG and eventually applied for the SPH Media Journalism Scholarship which she was awarded in 2022.
The scholarship provided Xin Wei with more than just funding; it gave her a road map. Through structured internships, she explored different beats and story formats – from daily news to long-form features.
“That exposure was crucial in shaping the path I am on now – it helped me figure out what I actually enjoyed doing and where my strengths were,” she says.
Xin Wei pivoted to business journalism after a seven-month-long internship at The Business Times in 2023.
“What is behind the numbers is always a human story,” she says. “A rent increase is a hard number, but behind those numbers are, for example, bakeries that have to shut down, business owners who have to close shop, and customers who have long supported these places who now have to seek alternatives.”
Beyond her growing interest in business news, Xin Wei was also drawn to the tight-knit, small newsroom of The Business Times and felt supported by the guidance she received there.
“We had weekly ‘tuition sessions’ from an editor to teach us things like how to read a financial statement, or how to write an initial public offering story. While I was mentored, I was also allowed space to try doing things on my own,” she says.
“It is a career for people who are curious about the world… You have to want to stick your nose in everybody’s business.”
– Chong Xin Wei, recipient of the SPH Media Journalism Scholarship
Journalism is not only a job for Xin Wei; it also pushed her beyond her comfort zone and helped her to grow into a more confident person.
Shy and soft-spoken, she used to struggle with anxiety before her interviews on assignments. At The Business Times, Xin Wei has had to push past those nerves to interview C-suite executives who are usually formidable figures in their respective fields and much older than her.
“I used to get so nervous interviewing people that one time, a newsmaker actually comforted me. He said: ‘You’re the one asking me questions, so I should be the nervous one’,” she recounts.
“Through my internship and full-time experiences in journalism, I have realised that some anxiety is bound to follow me, but I always try to remember that no one is going to judge you. As a journalist, you are there to learn new things, ask questions, and to clarify concepts when there are things you don’t understand.”
Indeed, Xin Wei believes the defining trait of a journalist is curiosity, or being “kay-poh” (nosy).
“It is a career for people who are curious about the world, who enjoy connecting with different people and hearing their perspectives, so being a bit ‘kay-poh’ is good. You have to want to stick your nose in everybody’s business,” she says.
