South China Morning Post

The ''South China Morning Post'' (''SCMP''), with its Sunday edition, the ''Sunday Morning Post'', is a Hong Kong-based English-language newspaper owned by Alibaba Group. Founded in 1903 by Tse Tsan-tai and Alfred Cunningham, it has remained Hong Kong's newspaper of record since British colonial rule. Editor-in-chief Tammy Tam succeeded Wang Xiangwei in 2016. The ''SCMP'' prints paper editions in Hong Kong and operates an online news 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 ''SCMP'' was regarded relatively as the most credible paid newspaper in Hong Kong.

The ''SCMP'' was owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation from 1986 until it was acquired by Malaysian real estate tycoon Robert Kuok in 1993. On 5 April 2016, Alibaba Group acquired the media properties of the SCMP Group, including the ''SCMP''. In January 2017, former Digg CEO Gary Liu became the ''SCMP''s chief executive officer.

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'', '' Der Spiegel'', and ''The Atlantic'' have alleged that the paper is on a mission to promote China's soft power abroad.

History

Origins

Anti-Qing revolutionary Tse Tsan-tai 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 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.

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, the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) bought majority shares in the newspaper. It was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in November 1971, but was privatised again in 1987 after being bought by the News Corporation 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 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.

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 served as editor until 1999, when he was replaced by Robert Keatley from ''The Wall Street Journal'', who became interim editor. Mark Landler of ''The New York Times'' 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 Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, 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 on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, 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. 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 would be upheld.

Joseph Tsai, 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'