Newspapers are printing double their normal circulation to satisfy the public’s interest in Tuesday’s shooting of famed singer Touch Srey Nich, local editors said Wednesday.
Pen Samithy, editor-in-chief of Rasmei Kampuchea (Light of Cambodia), said he will print 35,000 copies daily for at least a week. The paper usually prints about 17,000 copies, he said.
“We added double the normal amount of copies, and I heard this morning that the stores ran out of papers at about 8 or 9 o’clock,” he said.
Samleng Yuvachon Khmer (Voice of Khmer Youth), which normally publishes in the morning, rushed out an afternoon edition following the shooting Tuesday. The opposition paper is printing three times its normal 3,000 copies, said Editor-in-Chief Keo Sothea.
Touch Srey Nich, a 24-year-old teacher and popular pro-Funcinpec singer, was shot three times Tuesday morning as she left a flower shop on Monireth Boulevard. The story captivates readers because of the singer’s popularity and widespread speculation that her shooting might have been a political attack, editors said.
Newspapers had a similar boom in 1999 when famed actress and singer Piseth Pilika was killed, said Keo Sorphon, publisher of Chakraval (Universe). The newspaper printed a special edition on Tuesday afternoon and will continue to publish in both the morning and afternoon to meet demand, he said. “This style of killing has been quiet for rather long,” Keo Sorphon said. “This is the second time we’ve had a killing of a movie actress or singer.”
“Our circulation will continue to increase because we will be updating her health condition in Bangkok,” he said.
Lim Solida, who sells newspapers near Independence Monument, said Wednesday he sold all his copies of Rasmei Kampuchea, Koh Santepheap (Island of Peace) and Samleng Yuvachon Khmer before 8 am Wednesday.
“People want to know about it, particularly because she is a famous singer,” Lim Solida said.
