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The ''South China Morning Post'' (''SCMP''), with its Sunday edition, the ''Sunday Morning Post'', is a
Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
-based English-language
newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, sports a ...
owned by Alibaba Group. Founded in 1903 by
Tse Tsan-tai Tse Tsan-tai (; 16 May 1872 – 4 April 1938), courtesy name Sing-on (), art-named Hong-yu (), was an Australian Chinese revolutionary, active during the late Qing dynasty. Tse had an interest in designing airships but none were ever construct ...
and Alfred Cunningham, it has remained Hong Kong's
newspaper of record A newspaper of record is a major national newspaper with large circulation whose editorial and news-gathering functions are considered authoritative and independent; they are thus "newspapers of record by reputation" and include some of the o ...
since British colonial rule.
Editor-in-chief An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies. The highest-ranking editor of a publication may also be titled editor, managing ...
Tammy Tam succeeded Wang Xiangwei in 2016. The ''SCMP'' prints paper editions in Hong Kong and operates an
online news An online newspaper (or electronic news or electronic news publication) is the electronic publishing, online version of a newspaper, either as a stand-alone publication or as the online version of a printed periodical literature, periodical. Goin ...
website. The newspaper's circulation has been relatively stable for years—the average daily circulation stood at 100,000 in 2016. In a 2019 survey by the
Chinese University of Hong Kong The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is a public research university in Ma Liu Shui, Hong Kong, formally established in 1963 by a charter granted by the Legislative Council of Hong Kong. It is the territory's second-oldest university an ...
, the ''SCMP'' was regarded relatively as the most credible paid newspaper in Hong Kong. The ''SCMP'' was owned by
Rupert Murdoch Keith Rupert Murdoch ( ; born 11 March 1931) is an Australian-born American business magnate. Through his company News Corp, he is the owner of hundreds of local, national, and international publishing outlets around the world, including ...
's
News Corporation News Corporation (abbreviated News Corp.), also variously known as News Corporation Limited, was an American multinational mass media corporation controlled by media mogul Rupert Murdoch and headquartered at 1211 Avenue of the Americas in Ne ...
from 1986 until it was acquired by
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
n real estate tycoon
Robert Kuok Robert Kuok Hock Nien (; Hokchew: ''Guoh24 Houk5 Nieng55''; born 6 October 1923), is a Malaysian business magnate and investor. Since 1973, Kuok has lived in Hong Kong. According to ''Forbes'', his net worth is estimated at $12.6 billion as of ...
in 1993. On 5 April 2016, Alibaba Group acquired the media properties of the SCMP Group, including the ''SCMP''. In January 2017, former
Digg Digg, stylized in lowercase as digg, is an American news aggregator with a curated front page, aiming to select stories specifically for the Internet audience such as science, trending political issues, and viral Internet issues. It was launch ...
CEO Gary Liu became the ''SCMP''s
chief executive officer A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...
. Since the change of ownership in 2016, concerns have been raised about the paper's editorial independence and self-censorship. Critics including ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', ''
Der Spiegel ''Der Spiegel'' (, lit. ''"The Mirror"'') is a German weekly news magazine published in Hamburg. With a weekly circulation of 695,100 copies, it was the largest such publication in Europe in 2011. It was founded in 1947 by John Seymour Chaloner ...
'', and ''
The Atlantic ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...
'' have alleged that the paper is on a mission to promote China's soft power abroad.


History


Origins

Anti-Qing revolutionary
Tse Tsan-tai Tse Tsan-tai (; 16 May 1872 – 4 April 1938), courtesy name Sing-on (), art-named Hong-yu (), was an Australian Chinese revolutionary, active during the late Qing dynasty. Tse had an interest in designing airships but none were ever construct ...
and British journalist Alfred Cunningham (克寧漢) founded the ''South China Morning Post'' in 1903, publishing its first issue on 6 November 1903. It changed its Chinese name from "", which translates as the ''South Qing Morning Post'', to "" in 1913, a year after the
Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeast ...
was founded. The purpose of founding the ''SCMP'' is disputed. The ''SCMP'' has been described as a newspaper founded to support the reform movement in the late-
Qing Empire The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...
. Early editorials were mainly written by British journalists, such as Cunningham, Douglas Story and Thomas Petrie, while Tse attracted business to the newspaper. The editors maintained a good relationship with the Hong Kong government. In 1904, the newspaper's circulation was 300 copies. The newspaper faced competition from three English-language newspapers: the ''Hong Kong Daily Press'', ''China Mail'', and ''Hong Kong Telegraph''.


Post-war era

After the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the
Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (), commonly known as HSBC (), was the parent entity of the multinational HSBC banking group until 1991, and is now its Hong Kong-based Asia-Pacific subsidiary. The largest bank in Hong ...
(HSBC) bought majority shares in the newspaper. It was listed on the
Hong Kong Stock Exchange The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong (SEHK, also known as Hong Kong Stock Exchange) is a stock exchange based in Hong Kong. As of the end of 2020, it has 2,538 listed companies with a combined market capitalization of HK$47 trillion. It is repor ...
in November 1971, but was privatised again in 1987 after being bought by the
News Corporation News Corporation (abbreviated News Corp.), also variously known as News Corporation Limited, was an American multinational mass media corporation controlled by media mogul Rupert Murdoch and headquartered at 1211 Avenue of the Americas in Ne ...
in 1986 for HK$2.2 billion (US$284.4 million). ''SCMP'' relisted in 1990. Reading the ''SCMP'' has been described as a status symbol in the 20th century, when the newspaper represented the interests of Hong Kong elites and the British government. Editors of the ''SCMP'' attended regular meetings at the
Government House Government House is the name of many of the official residences of governors-general, governors and lieutenant-governors in the Commonwealth and the remaining colonies of the British Empire. The name is also used in some other countries. Gover ...
for disclosures that aimed to influence public opinion and received business briefings from the HSBC. For most of the 1990s, the ''SCMP'' was the world's most profitable newspaper. By 1993, the ''SCMPs daily circulation exceeded 100,000 and posted profits of HK$586 million (US$75.6 million) from mid-1992 to mid-1993. In September 1993, Murdoch was in negotiations to sell his 50 per cent interest in the ''SCMP'' as part of a scheme to increase the News Corporation's investments in the Asian electronic media industry. News Corporation then announced that it would sell 34.9 per cent stake – a controlling interest – for US$375 million to Kerry Media owned by Malaysian businessman
Robert Kuok Robert Kuok Hock Nien (; Hokchew: ''Guoh24 Houk5 Nieng55''; born 6 October 1923), is a Malaysian business magnate and investor. Since 1973, Kuok has lived in Hong Kong. According to ''Forbes'', his net worth is estimated at $12.6 billion as of ...
. Kuok's son, Kuok Khoon Ean, took over as chairman at the end of 1997. Kuok Khoon Ean's sister, Kuok Hui Kwong, was named chief executive officer on 1 January 2009. Kuok launched a general offer for the remaining shares in September 2007, and increased his stake to 74 per cent at US$209 million. It was delisted in 2013 when the shares' free float fell below the required 25 per cent.
Jonathan Fenby Jonathan Fenby CBE (born 11 November 1942) is a British analyst, author, historian and journalist. In terms of his business career, he has served as the Chairperson of the China Team at the research service TSLombard. He was previously a foundi ...
served as editor until 1999, when he was replaced by Robert Keatley from ''
The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
'', who became interim editor. Mark Landler of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' wrote that under Fenby, the ''SCMP'' was "sharply critical of the Hong Kong government" and that this may have been a factor behind Fenby being replaced. The ''SCMP'' has had 10 editors from 2000 to 2011. Mark Clifford, editor-in-chief of '' The Standard'' from 2004 to 2006, was hired as editor-in-chief in February 2006. Clifford brought with him several staffers from ''The Standard'', including business section editor Stuart Jackson, who departed after seven turbulent months. He presided over the controversial dismissal of several journalists over an internal prank, and himself resigned with effect 1 April 2007. Following Gina Chua's short-lived tenure at the Post, from 2009 to April 2011, and deputy editor, Cliff Buddle served as acting editor-in-chief for 10 months. , a member of the
Jilin Jilin (; alternately romanized as Kirin or Chilin) is one of the three provinces of Northeast China. Its capital and largest city is Changchun. Jilin borders North Korea (Rasŏn, North Hamgyong, Ryanggang and Chagang) and Russia (Prim ...
Provincial Committee of the
Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC, zh, 中国人民政治协商会议), also known as the People's PCC (, ) or simply the PCC (), is a political advisory body in the People's Republic of China and a central part of ...
, succeeded him in 2012. Tammy Tam, senior editor of the China section, was promoted to deputy editor under Wang. In May 2015, the ''SCMP'' told columnists Philip Bowring, Steve Vines, Kevin Rafferty and Frank Ching – all of whom have criticised the government in commentaries to varying degrees on different subjects over the years – that their services would no longer be needed. The manner of their dismissal generated criticism, as well as speculation as to who had instigated the removals. In January 2016, Tam was promoted to the paper's editor-in-chief.


Alibaba ownership

During Alibaba's failed attempt at securing an
initial public offering An initial public offering (IPO) or stock launch is a public offering in which shares of a company are sold to institutional investors and usually also to retail (individual) investors. An IPO is typically underwritten by one or more investment ...
on the
Hong Kong Stock Exchange The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong (SEHK, also known as Hong Kong Stock Exchange) is a stock exchange based in Hong Kong. As of the end of 2020, it has 2,538 listed companies with a combined market capitalization of HK$47 trillion. It is repor ...
, the ''SCMP'' published articles questioning the business practices of the platform, including incidents involving counterfeit goods. On 11 December 2015, Alibaba Group announced that it would acquire the media assets of SCMP Group, including ''SCMP'', for HK$2 billion (US$266 million). Alibaba's ownership of ''SCMP'' led to concerns that the newspaper would become a mouthpiece of the
Central People's Government The State Council, constitutionally synonymous with the Central People's Government since 1954 (particularly in relation to local governments), is the chief administrative authority of the People's Republic of China. It is chaired by the p ...
. Among the possible motives of the Alibaba acquisition was to make media coverage of China "fair and accurate" and not in the optic of Western news outlets. Alibaba said that the newspaper's
editorial independence Editorial independence is the freedom of editors to make decisions without interference from the owners of a publication. Editorial independence is tested, for instance, if a newspaper runs articles that may be unpopular with its advertising clien ...
would be upheld.
Joseph Tsai Joseph Tsai (; born January 1964) is a Hong Kong-Canadian billionaire businessman, lawyer, and philanthropist. He is a co-founder and executive vice chairman of the Chinese multinational technology company Alibaba Group and owns the Brooklyn Net ...
, executive vice-chairman of Alibaba Group, said that the fear that Alibaba's ownership would compromise editorial independence "reflects a bias of its own, as if to say newspaper owners must espouse certain views, while those that hold opposing views are 'unfit'. In fact, that is exactly why we think the world needs a plurality of views when it comes to China coverage. China's rise as an economic power and its importance to world stability is too important for there to be a singular thesis." He also said, "Today when I see mainstream western news organisations cover China, they cover it through a very particular lens. It is through the lens that China is a communist state and everything kind of follows from that. A lot of journalists working with these western media organisations may not agree with the system of governance in China and that taints their view of coverage." The acquisition by Alibaba was completed on 5 April 2016. The ''SCMP'' took down the paywall to its website. According to a 2016 public survey conducted by the Centre for Communication and Public Opinion Survey at the
Chinese University of Hong Kong The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is a public research university in Ma Liu Shui, Hong Kong, formally established in 1963 by a charter granted by the Legislative Council of Hong Kong. It is the territory's second-oldest university an ...
, the ''SCMP'' received a credibility rating of 6.54, the highest credibility score among the various paid newspapers in Hong Kong. In 2016, following the Alibaba acquisition, the ''SCMP'' removed its
paywall A paywall is a method of restricting access to content, with a purchase or a paid subscription, especially news. Beginning in the mid-2010s, newspapers started implementing paywalls on their websites as a way to increase revenue after years of ...
, but in July 2020, SCMP announced that it would return to a subscription model in August 2020. In March 2021, it was reported that the Chinese government is pressuring Alibaba to sell SCMP, due to concerns over the company's influence over public opinion in Hong Kong. Critics say this is designed to move the paper under the ownership of Chinese state-owned firm or an associated billionaire, placing it under the influence of the
Chinese Communist Party The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), officially the Communist Party of China (CPC), is the founding and One-party state, sole ruling party of the China, People's Republic of China (PRC). Under the leadership of Mao Zedong, the CCP emerged victoriou ...
(CCP). In a leaked internal November 2021 memo, SCMP CEO Gary Liu denied any sale was in the works.


Closure of subsidiary publications

Since the Alibaba acquisition, the ''SCMP'' has discontinued several subsidiary publications, including its Chinese-language edition, the ''48 HOURS'' weekend magazine, and the popular ''
HK Magazine ''HK Magazine'' was a free English-language alternative weekly published by HK Magazine Media Group in Hong Kong. Launched in 1991, it offered coverage of local affairs, social issues as well as entertainment listings. The 1000th issue was publish ...
'' alternative weekly. The ''48 HOURS'' staff continue to write on other ''SCMP'' platforms. Zach Hines, former editor-in-chief of ''HK Magazine'' from 2000 to 2015, said that closing the magazine is an effort to shift the focus away from Hong Kong to mainland China and target western readers. Hines wrote in the ''
Hong Kong Free Press Hong Kong Free Press (HKFP) is a free, non-profit news website based in Hong Kong. It was co-founded in 2015 by Tom Grundy, who believed that the territory's press freedom was in decline, to provide an alternative to the dominant English-languag ...
'' of its closure:
The ''South China Morning Post'' purchased us at the right time, and for sensible reasons. The media landscape was changing dramatically, as it continues to do, and their ownership bought us a few final years of life. But, like "
One Country, Two Systems "One country, two systems" is a constitutional principle of the People's Republic of China (PRC) describing the governance of the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau. The constitutional principle was formulated in the early ...
", this odd and uncomfortable marriage was never going to last. To be a truly independent press, you cannot be beholden to anyone except your readers. But, to my great dismay, this is becoming an increasing impossibility in Hong Kong, in both the mainstream Chinese and much-smaller English media. SCMP is owned by Alibaba, perhaps the biggest pro-China organization in the world, if you don't count the Communist Party. The paper's business interests are also drifting away from Hong Kong, and toward readers in the United States and the rest of the west. HK Magazine is a canary in the coal mine. .. As this sad end to HK Magazine shows, it is clear that it is time now for someone else to step up and provide an alternative voice for Hong Kong. If you care about free speech and the liberal values that make Hong Kong what it is, say something about it. Do something about it. Support independent outlets like ''Hong Kong Free Press'' and
FactWire FactWire () was an investigative news agency headquartered in Kowloon, Hong Kong. Funded by crowdfunding via the crowdfunding platform FringeBacker in the first round of seed fund in 2015, FactWire was founded with the initial financial support ...
. You have a voice. Use it. Or you will surely lose it.
Initially SCMP stated that the ''HK Magazine'' website would be deleted from the internet, but the move was criticised. The
Hong Kong Journalists Association The Hong Kong Journalists Association ( Chinese: 香港記者協會) is a Hong Kong association that represents journalists in Hong Kong. Established in 1968, the association acts as a trade union for journalists by seeking to improve work ...
lodged an inquiry with SCMP management. Hines stated, "It is unthinkable that a newspaper of record would ever consider deleting content from its archive. The SCMP should be held to proper journalistic standards. HK Magazine was an important feature of Hong Kong's media landscape, and it must be preserved. Deleting it would be an utter travesty of journalistic principles – and a slap in the face to SCMP's readers and to Hong Kong society in general." Following the negative reaction, SCMP stated that ''HK Magazine'' content would be migrated to the ''South China Morning Post'' website before the ''HK Magazine'' website was deleted. Additionally, Hong Kong data scientist Mart van de Ven launched a public appeal to help archive back issues of the magazine, expressing doubt that SCMP would preserve the full archive. However, he found that he was unable to access issue 1,103, which featured
Leung Chun-ying Leung Chun-ying (; born 12 August 1954), also known as CY Leung, is a Hong Kong politician and chartered surveyor, who has served as vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference since Mar ...
on the cover.


Circulation and profitability

The paper's average audited circulation for the first half of 2007 stood at 106,054; while its Sunday edition, the ''Sunday Morning Post'', has a readership of 80,865. In 2012, the readership of the ''SCMP'' and the ''Sunday Morning Post'' was estimated at 396,000. Its readership outside Hong Kong remains at some 6,825 copies for the same period, again, relatively unchanged. It also had the position as the most profitable newspaper in the world on a per reader basis, profit declined since peaking in 1997 at HK$805 million. Its average audited circulation for the first half of 2015 stood at 101,652 copies, with the print edition representing 75 percent of the number of copies; the Sunday edition registered 80,779 copies on average during the same period. The Group reported net profit of HK$338 million for the year 2006 (''2005 = HK$246m''), the operating profit of HK$419m (''2005 = HK$306m'') was attributable mainly to the newspaper operation. The selling price of the paper is HK$9 each from Monday to Saturday, and HK$10 for the ''Sunday Morning Post''. A discounted student subscription is also available. It was increased 14.5% (from HK$7) and 25% (from HK$8) respectively in August 2011. SCMP Group posted a profit of $52.3 million in the first half of 2010.


Format

The printed version of the ''SCMP'' is in a broadsheet format, in sections: Main, City, Sport, Business, Classifieds, Property (Wednesday), Racing (Wednesday), Technology (Tuesday), Education (Saturday), Style magazine (first Friday of every month); the Sunday edition contains Main, a Review section, a Post Magazine, Racing, "At Your Service", a services directory, and "Young Post", targeted at younger readers. On 26 March 2007, the ''SCMP'' was given a facelift, with new presentation and
font In metal typesetting, a font is a particular size, weight and style of a typeface. Each font is a matched set of type, with a piece (a "sort") for each glyph. A typeface consists of a range of such fonts that shared an overall design. In mod ...
s. Another redesign in 2011 changed the typefaces to
Farnham Farnham ( /ˈfɑːnəm/) is a market town and civil parish in Surrey, England, around southwest of London. It is in the Borough of Waverley, close to the county border with Hampshire. The town is on the north branch of the River Wey, a trib ...
and
Amplitude The amplitude of a periodic variable is a measure of its change in a single period (such as time or spatial period). The amplitude of a non-periodic signal is its magnitude compared with a reference value. There are various definitions of amplit ...
for headlines,
Utopia A utopia ( ) typically describes an imaginary community or society that possesses highly desirable or nearly perfect qualities for its members. It was coined by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book ''Utopia (book), Utopia'', describing a fictional ...
for text, and
Freight Cargo consists of bulk goods conveyed by water, air, or land. In economics, freight is cargo that is transported at a freight rate for commercial gain. ''Cargo'' was originally a shipload but now covers all types of freight, including transp ...
for headers.


Online version

SCMP.com had started out as a
subscription The subscription business model is a business model in which a customer must pay a recurring price at regular intervals for access to a product or service. The model was pioneered by publishers of books and periodicals in the 17th century, and ...
-only service, which also allows the retrieval of
archive An archive is an accumulation of historical records or materials – in any medium – or the physical facility in which they are located. Archives contain primary source documents that have accumulated over the course of an individual or ...
articles dating back from 1993. It was launched online in December 1996. On 30 May 2007, SCMP.com relaunched with a new look, features, and multimedia content. Headlines and the introduction to stories were now free to view, while the full articles are available to subscribers. Archive photos and articles are available for purchase. On 16 July 2007, SCMP.com launched its first-ever viral video marketing campaign targeting a global audience and highlighting the new multimedia features of the website. At present, ''SCMP'' also provides free subscription to "The South China Morning Post iPad edition" for the
Apple iPad An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, ' ...
. SCMP.com launched a major redesign on 20 April 2015. Upon having been acquired by Alibaba, the new owners announced that the
paywall A paywall is a method of restricting access to content, with a purchase or a paid subscription, especially news. Beginning in the mid-2010s, newspapers started implementing paywalls on their websites as a way to increase revenue after years of ...
would be removed. The paywall was subsequently removed on the night of 4 April 2016. By doing so, ''SCMP'' wished to increase its readership globally and allow the global community to have access to its news of China. It vowed to better adapt to the reading habits of the readers. The news site remains blocked in mainland China as of 2018. ''SCMP'' also provided a "China-focused" Chinese-language version of The Post, nanzao.com, but was shut down in 2016.


Editorial stance and staff

The previous owners of the publication, Kerry Group's Robert Kuok and his family, are claimed to be inclined towards the central government of the People's Republic of China, and questions were raised over the paper's editorial independence and self-censorship. The paper's editors nevertheless did assert their independence during Kuok's ownership. There have been concerns, denied by Kuok, over the forced departures, in rapid succession, of several staff and contributors who were considered critical of China's government or its supporters in Hong Kong. These included, in the mid-1990s, cartoonist
Larry Feign Larry Feign (born December 5, 1955) is an American cartoonist and writer based in Hong Kong. Feign is best known for his comic strip '' The World of Lily Wong''. Education and early career Feign is from Buffalo, New York. He attended the Univ ...
, humour columnist
Nury Vittachi Nury Vittachi (born 2 October 1958) is a journalist and author based in Hong Kong. He has written the novel series ''The Feng Shui Detective'', as well as non-fiction works and novels for children. Journalism career Vittachi started his career ...
, and numerous China-desk staff, namely 2000–01 editorial pages editor Danny Gittings, Beijing correspondent Jasper Becker and China pages editor
Willy Lam Willy Wo-Lap Lam (born 1952; ) is a Hong Kong journalist, political scientist, and commentator on Chinese politics. He is currently a Jamestown Foundation fellow and an adjunct professor at the Centre for China Studies, Chinese University of Hong ...
.Freedoms eroded to please Beijing: report
, The Standard, 2 July 2001
南早赤化 政協做老總
, ''Apple Daily''
Not long after Kuok's purchase of the newspaper, and after running several cartoons about the culling of human body parts from Chinese prisoners, Larry Feign was abruptly dismissed and his satirical comic strip "Lily Wong" axed in 1995. His firing was defended as "cost cutting", but was widely viewed as political self-censorship in the face of the imminent
handover of Hong Kong Sovereignty of Hong Kong was transferred from the United Kingdom to the China, People's Republic of China (PRC) at midnight on 1 July 1997. This event ended 156 years of British rule in the British Hong Kong, former colony. Hong Kong was establ ...
to the PRC. In his book ''North Wind'', Hong Kong author
Nury Vittachi Nury Vittachi (born 2 October 1958) is a journalist and author based in Hong Kong. He has written the novel series ''The Feng Shui Detective'', as well as non-fiction works and novels for children. Journalism career Vittachi started his career ...
documented that then editor,
Jonathan Fenby Jonathan Fenby CBE (born 11 November 1942) is a British analyst, author, historian and journalist. In terms of his business career, he has served as the Chairperson of the China Team at the research service TSLombard. He was previously a foundi ...
, who had joined from ''
The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the w ...
'' of London, suppressed letters querying the disappearance of the popular strip and then busied himself writing letters to international media that had covered the Feign case defending the sacking.''North Wind'', Nury Vittachi, Aberdeen, Hong Kong. Chameleon Press (2001) Vittachi explained his own departure from the journal in his book, linking it to the pressures he – and other contributors – faced from top management and editors to abstain from writing on topics that were deemed "sensitive", basically in denial of the free speech rights enshrined in the
Hong Kong Basic Law The Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China is a national law of China that serves as the organic law for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). Comprising nine chapters, 160 ...
and the
one country, two systems "One country, two systems" is a constitutional principle of the People's Republic of China (PRC) describing the governance of the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau. The constitutional principle was formulated in the early ...
policy. In 2000, Fenby was succeeded by Robert Keatley, a former ''
Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
'' journalist. After the paper ran a story by
Willy Lam Willy Wo-Lap Lam (born 1952; ) is a Hong Kong journalist, political scientist, and commentator on Chinese politics. He is currently a Jamestown Foundation fellow and an adjunct professor at the Centre for China Studies, Chinese University of Hong ...
on its front page about a delegation of Hong Kong tycoons meeting with Chinese President and General Secretary of the Communist Party
Jiang Zemin Jiang Zemin (17 August 1926 – 30 November 2022) was a Chinese politician who served as general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from 1989 to 2002, as chairman of the Central Military Commission from 1989 to 2004, and as pres ...
, in which it was reported that business opportunities in China were being offered as a quid pro quo for the tycoons' political support, the Chinese Liaison Office raised objections of insensitivity as well as incurring the owner's wrath. Kuok berated Keatley in his office and wrote a two-page letter, which Keatley published in the letters section of the paper. Kuok stepped down as group chairman that year. Editorial page editor Gittings complained that in January 2001 he was told to take a "realistic" view of editorial independence and ordered not to run extracts of the
Tiananmen Papers ''The Tiananmen Papers'' was first published in English in January 2001 by PublicAffairs. The extended Chinese version of this book was published in April that same year under the title 中國六四真相 (Pinyin: ''Zhōngguó Liùsì Zhēnxià ...
, though ultimately was allowed, after protesting "strenuously", to do so. The editor stated that there had already been sufficient coverage. At the launch of a joint report published by the Hong Kong Journalists' Association and Article 19 in July 2001, the chairman of the Hong Kong Journalists' Association said: "More and more newspapers self-censor themselves because they are controlled by either a businessman with close ties to Beijing, or part of a large enterprise, which has financial interests over the border." Editor-in-chief Wang Xiangwei, appointed by the owner in 2012 after consultation with the Liaison Office, was criticised for his decision to reduce the paper's coverage of the death of Li Wangyang on 7 June 2012. Wang, who had left the office for the day, reportedly returned to the paper after midnight to reverse the staff editors' decision to run a full story. The ''SCMP'' published a two-paragraph report inside the paper; other news media reported it prominently. A senior staff member who sought to understand the decision circulated the resulting email exchanges, that indicate he received a stern rebuff from Wang. Wang made a statement on 21 June, in which he said he understood the "huge responsibility to deliver news... nd.. the journalistic heritage we have inherited". and said that his decision not to pursue extensive coverage as the story broke was pending "more facts and details surrounding the circumstances of this case".Wang Xiangwei, (21 June 2012). "Statement by the Editor-in-Chief". ''South China Morning Post''. Wang admitted that his decision on Li Wangyang was a bad one in retrospect. Reporter Paul Mooney said that the Li Wangyang story was not an isolated incident: Wang Xiangwei has "long had a reputation as being a censor of the news…Talk to anyone on the China reporting team at the ''South China Morning Post'' and they'll tell you a story about how Wang has cut their stories, or asked them to do an uninteresting story that was favorable to ainlandChina." Mooney, whose contract with the paper was not renewed in May 2012 reportedly because of budgetary reasons, said he had won more journalism awards than anyone else in the news team, but that for seven months prior to his departure from the newspaper, Wang had marginalised him by blocking him from writing any China stories, and then reportedly hiring several new young reporters, many from mainland China, after he had been ousted. Despite the reported sentiments of the owners, the ''SCMP'' does report on commemorations of the Tiananmen Square Massacre, and ran an editorial criticising the
one-child policy The term one-child policy () refers to a population planning initiative in China implemented between 1980 and 2015 to curb the country's population growth by restricting many families to a single child. That initiative was part of a much bro ...
in 2013. The ''SCMP'' published an interview with
Jack Ma Jack Ma Yun (; born 10 September 1964) is a Chinese business magnate, investor and philanthropist. He is the co-founder and former executive chairman of Alibaba Group, a multinational technology conglomerate. In addition, he co-founded Yunfeng ...
, founder of Alibaba and a member of the CCP, in which Ma defended late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping's decision to crack down on pro-democracy student protests, saying it was "the most correct decision". The relevant remark was deleted not long after the article was published; the reporter responsible for the interview was suspended and later was resigned. Alibaba said that Ma had been quoted "improperly", and demanded a rectification, but the editor-in-chief refused. ''The New York Times'' stated that Alibaba is steering the newspaper into promoting the PRC's
soft power In politics (and particularly in international politics), soft power is the ability to co-opt rather than coerce (contrast hard power). In other words, soft power involves shaping the preferences of others through appeal and attraction. A defin ...
, and several critical stories about China's current government have been rewritten in an act of
self-censorship Self-censorship is the act of censoring or classifying one's own discourse. This is done out of fear of, or deference to, the sensibilities or preferences (actual or perceived) of others and without overt pressure from any specific party or insti ...
by the top editors. However, a few academics pointed out in 2013, 2016 and 2021 that there was a negative or discriminatory discourse present in ''SCMP''s coverage of mainland Chinese people.


Zhao Wei Incident

Questions were raised about the relationship between the publication and Chinese authorities after the ''SCMP'' was able to secure an interview with
Zhao Wei Zhao Wei (; born 12 March 1976), also known as Vicky Zhao or Vicki Zhao, is a Chinese actress, businesswoman, film director, producer and pop singer. She is considered one of the most popular actresses in China and Chinese-speaking regions, an ...
, the legal assistant of human rights defender
Li Heping Li Heping () is a civil rights lawyer in the People's Republic of China and a partner of the Beijing Global Law Firm who was abducted on 10 July 2015. He is a prominent figure in China's Weiquan (rights defending) movement, having defended under ...
, who was in the custody of Chinese police. The ''SCMP'' was able to make contact with Zhao Wei a few days after her release from prison while she was still in the custody of Chinese security forces and at a time when neither her husband nor lawyer were able to reach her. The interview quoted Zhao giving what was taken to be a telephone confession, including “I have come to realise that I have taken the wrong path... I repent for what I did. I'm now a brand new person.”


Criticism of Li Zhanshu withdrawn

On 22 July 2017, SCMP published an article linking the family member of
Li Zhanshu Li Zhanshu (; born August 30, 1950) is a Chinese politician, and the current outgoing chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the Chinese Speaker. He was the third-ranking member of the Politburo Standing Committe ...
, to a Singaporean investor who has spent HK$4 billion in Hong Kong investment. It cited records at the Hong Kong Company Registration on their associations. The article was published both online and in print. It was removed by midnight, and a correction was issued claiming the author used unverifiable claims as the basis of the article. The columnist, Shirley Yam, subsequently resigned, noting that she stood by her article.


Publication of an interview made under duress

In 2018 the ''South China Morning Post'' published an interview with
Gui Minhai Gui Minhai (, formerly ; born 5 May 1964), also known as Michael Gui, is a Chinese-born Swedish book publisher and writer. He is an author of many books related to Chinese politics and Chinese political figures; Gui authored around 200 books ...
, who was detained in China at the time. This raised concerns about the interview being fake or scripted, which caused backlash against SCMP. Magnus Fiskesjö, an associate professor at
Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...
and friend of Gui, commented that:
..the spectacle's producers included not just the usual propaganda arms of the regime (e.g. the Xinhua News Agency, etc.), but also the formerly independent ''South China Morning Post'' (SCMP) of Hong Kong. In agreeing to "interview" a torture victim in between the torture sessions, the paper gave in to pressure from China.
As a result of this incident, Fiskesjö said that "SCMP can no longer be trusted as an independent news organisation."


Awards and recognition

''SCMP'' won 3 awards at the 2018
WAN-IFRA The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization made up of 76 national newspaper associations, 12 news agencies, 10 regional press organisations, and many individual newspaper ex ...
Asian Digital Media Event. The paper won 11 awards the next year in the same contest and in 2021, won 9 awards at WAN-IFRA's 20th Asian Media Awards competition. The newspaper won a 2019
Sigma Delta Chi Award The Sigma Delta Chi Awards are presented annually by the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) (formerly Sigma Delta Chi) for excellence in journalism. The SPJ states the purpose of the award is to promote "the free flow of information vital ...
in Informational Graphics for their coverage of the
2019 Hong Kong protests Nineteen or 19 may refer to: * 19 (number), the natural number following 18 and preceding 20 * one of the years 19 BC, AD 19, 1919, 2019 Films * ''19'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film * ''Nineteen'' (film), a 1987 science fiction film Music ...
. In 2020, ''SCMP'' won another Sigma Delta Chi award in the same category for their coverage of
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. The paper won 23 awards at the
Society for News Design The Society for News Design (SND), formerly known as the Society of Newspaper Design, is an international organization for professionals working in the news sector of the media industry, specifically those involved with graphic design, illustration ...
's 2020 Best of Digital Design competition, including 3 on articles covering the Hong Kong protests. The paper also won 4 gold medals at the 2020
Malofiej Awards The annual Malofiej Awards for Infographics were organized by the Spanish chapter of the Society for News Design (SND-E) for accomplishments in journalistic infographics. They have been regarded as some of the most prestigious in this field. The awa ...
, including 3 for their coverage of the Hong Kong protests. ''SCMP'' was announced as the winner of the
Online News Association The Online News Association (ONA), founded in 1999, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization located in Washington D.C., United States. It is the world's largest association of digital journalists, with more than 2,000 members. The majority of ONA ...
's 2020 General Excellence in Online Journalism award for large newsrooms. The newspaper won the grand prize at the 2020 Lorenzo Natali Media Awards for its report titled "“The ‘thin yellow line’ standing between Hong Kong police and protestors”. The paper was also awarded the 2nd prize at the 2020
World Press Photo World Press Photo Foundation is an independent, non-profit organization based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Founded in 1955, the organization is known for holding an annual press photography contest. Since 2011, World Press Photo has organized a ...
Digital Storytelling Contest in the shorts category for the same story. ''SCMP'''s piece titled "Hong Kong Protests: 100 days of protests rock Hong Kong" was an honoree at the 2020
Webby Awards The Webby Awards are awards for excellence on the Internet presented annually by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, a judging body composed of over two thousand industry experts and technology innovators. Categories include ...
for Best Individual Editorial Feature. The paper won another Webby in 2021 for its video titled "China’s Rebel City – The Hong Kong Protests".


SCMP Group

Before the acquisition in 2016 by Alibaba, ''South China Morning Post'' belonged to the SCMP Group Limited, a company also involved in property investment and convenience store operation. In April 2016, the company announced that the transaction of their media businesses with Alibaba was completed. As the intellectual property rights to the name "SCMP" was also transferred, the company changed its name to ''Armada Holdings Limited'', then to ''Great Wall Pan Asia Holdings''. Now, the current publisher for the ''SCMP'' is South China Morning Post Publishers Limited (still commonly known as SCMP Group)'','' which currently publishes, along with the ''South China Morning Post'' and ''Sunday Morning Post'', the following newspapers, magazines and online platforms: * ''Young Post'' * ''Classified Post'' *''Jiu Jik'' () *''
Cosmopolitan Cosmopolitan may refer to: Food and drink * Cosmopolitan (cocktail), also known as a "Cosmo" History * Rootless cosmopolitan, a Soviet derogatory epithet during Joseph Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign of 1949–1953 Hotels and resorts * Cosmopoli ...
'' (Hong Kong edition) *''
Elle ''Elle'' (stylized ''ELLE'') is a worldwide women's magazine of French origin that offers a mix of fashion and beauty content, together with culture, society and lifestyle. The title means "she" or "her" in French. ''Elle'' is considered the w ...
'' and ''Elle Men'' (Hong Kong edition) *''
Esquire Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentlema ...
'' (Hong Kong edition) *''
Harper's Bazaar ''Harper's Bazaar'' is an American monthly women's fashion magazine. It was first published in New York City on November 2, 1867, as the weekly ''Harper's Bazar''. ''Harper's Bazaar'' is published by Hearst and considers itself to be the st ...
'' (Hong Kong edition) *''The Peak'' *''
Inkstone News ''Inkstone News'' (or simply ''Inkstone'') was an online newspaper platform launched by Hong Kong-based company South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. (the publisher of newspaper '' South China Morning Post'') in March 2018. It was available ...
'' *''Abacus News'' *''Goldthread''


Staff

Writers employed by the SCMP include: *
Gary Botting Gary Norman Arthur Botting (born 19 July 1943) is a Canadian legal scholar and criminal defense lawyer as well as a poet, playwright, novelist, and critic of literature and religion, in particular Jehovah's Witnesses. The author of 40 published b ...
, writer in 1960s *
Jonathan Fenby Jonathan Fenby CBE (born 11 November 1942) is a British analyst, author, historian and journalist. In terms of his business career, he has served as the Chairperson of the China Team at the research service TSLombard. He was previously a foundi ...
, editor from 1995 to 1999 * Ma Jun, Chinese environmentalist, reporter for SCMP from 1993 to 2000 *
Nury Vittachi Nury Vittachi (born 2 October 1958) is a journalist and author based in Hong Kong. He has written the novel series ''The Feng Shui Detective'', as well as non-fiction works and novels for children. Journalism career Vittachi started his career ...
, humourist *
Stephen Leather Stephen Leather (born 25 October 1956) is a British Thriller (genre), thriller author whose works are published by Hodder & Stoughton. He has written for television shows such as ''London's Burning (TV series), London's Burning'', ''The Knock'', ...
, British thriller novel writer *
Willy Lam Willy Wo-Lap Lam (born 1952; ) is a Hong Kong journalist, political scientist, and commentator on Chinese politics. He is currently a Jamestown Foundation fellow and an adjunct professor at the Centre for China Studies, Chinese University of Hong ...
, Beijing correspondent and later China editor through the
1989 Tiananmen Square protests The Tiananmen Square protests, known in Chinese as the June Fourth Incident (), were student-led demonstrations held in Tiananmen Square, Beijing during 1989. In what is known as the Tiananmen Square Massacre, or in Chinese the June Fourth ...
and 1997
handover of Hong Kong Sovereignty of Hong Kong was transferred from the United Kingdom to the China, People's Republic of China (PRC) at midnight on 1 July 1997. This event ended 156 years of British rule in the British Hong Kong, former colony. Hong Kong was establ ...


See also

*
Media of Hong Kong Hong Kong's media consists of several different types of communications of mass media: television, radio, cinema, newspapers, magazines, websites and other online platforms. Overview Hong Kong is home to many of Asia's biggest media entities ...
*
South China South China () is a geographical and cultural region that covers the southernmost part of China. Its precise meaning varies with context. A notable feature of South China in comparison to the rest of China is that most of its citizens are not n ...


References


External links

* {{Authority control English-language newspapers published in Hong Kong Publications established in 1903 Alibaba Group 1903 establishments in Hong Kong Former News Corporation subsidiaries 1907 mergers and acquisitions 1945 mergers and acquisitions 1986 mergers and acquisitions 1993 mergers and acquisitions 2015 mergers and acquisitions