''The Paper'' ( zh, first=s, s=澎湃新闻, t=澎湃新聞, p=Péngpài Xīnwén, l=Surging News) is a Chinese

digital newspaper A digital newspaper is a digital version of a printed newspaper. Newspapers can be digitally published online or as a digital copy on a digital device, such as a mobile phone or an E Ink reader. Online Web Many organisations that publish a prin ...

owned and run by the

Shanghai United Media Group Shanghai United Media Group () is a state media company of the People's Republic of China, established on October 28, 2013, through the merger of the city's two largest newspaper groups, Jiefang Daily Press Group and Wenhui–Xinmin United Press ...

History

''The Paper'' was launched in July 2014 as an offshoot of the Shanghai United Media Group publication '' Oriental Morning Post''. It received a large amount of initial funding, speculated to be anywhere from US$16 million to 64 million. Of this, RMB 100 million (approximately $) was provided by the government through the

Cyberspace Administration of China The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC; ) is the central internet regulator, censor, oversight, and control agency for the People's Republic of China. The office also holds the administrative title of the party's Office of the Central C ...

. ''The Paper'' was founded as an attempt to capture the readership of mobile internet users as revenue from mainstream physical papers across China saw major declines in the early 2010s. In May 2016, ''The Paper'' launched ''

Sixth Tone ''Sixth Tone'' is a state-owned English-language online magazine published by Shanghai United Media Group. Name ''Sixth Tones name relates to the number of tones in Mandarin Chinese, but also is stated to carry more metaphorical meaning ...

'', an English-language sister publication.

Reporting

''The Paper'' was initially given greater leeway in its reporting than other comparable organizations in China, where the government heavily censors and controls media. In allowing relative autonomy, the government aims to foster a media organization popular with younger online users that will still follow the political line 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 ...

. ''The Paper'' has focused in particular on investigative reporting. The day of its founding, it published a piece on judicial misconduct in

Anhui Anhui , (; formerly romanized as Anhwei) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, part of the East China region. Its provincial capital and largest city is Hefei. The province is located across the basins of the Yangtze River ...

province, prompting the Anhui

High People's Court A high people's court or higher people's court (高级人民法院) is the highest local court in the People's Republic of China. In each province, it is subject to the "People's Congress". According to the ''Organic Law of the People's Courts ...

to reopen an investigation into the case. It has since become known for similar stories on societal scandals and corruption, including its series on

Ling Jihua Ling Jihua (; born 22 October 1956) is a former Chinese politician and one of the principal political advisers of former leader Hu Jintao. Ling was best known for his tenure as chief of the General Office of the Chinese Communist Party between ...

References

External links

* {{Official website, https://www.thepaper.cn/ Chinese news websites Mass media in China State media Chinese Communist Party newspapers Chinese propaganda organisations