4 ms·

Have you noticed a big difference in coverage? While yes it would certainly be more independent if it was independent, I'm surprised at how they still publish

Have you noticed a big difference in coverage? While yes it would certainly be more independent if it was independent, I'm surprised at how they still publish pretty critical, self-aware pieces. Maybe some mainland news are also like this and I just don't know what normal is. If anyone has a recommendation for the equivalent of, say, The Atlantic or Harper's Magazine in mainland China I'd really love to hear.

beerandt 5y ago
They've already got tons of outlets telling the official news, so one more is probably of minimal worth. However, it you continue to run it as a mostly unbiased/outsider publication, it'll be more credible when the occasional bit of propaganda is mixed in. What's the alternative? Abrupt change that not only gives away it's new ideological slant, but also could serve as a rallying point?
marlor 5y ago
There’s definitely been a shift in tone in articles from the SCMP over the past five years. It used regularly provide highly critical coverage of both the Hong Kong and Chinese Governments. It was broadly supportive of the Umbrella Movement, and regularly provided unbiased coverage of the localist movement. The whole media environment has shifted now, and the SCMP, while still providing some critical coverage, is a shadow of what it was. Frustratingly, critical articles also seem to be edited to within an inch of their life. You can easily spot where content has been removed and/or replaced as the tone shifts dramatically and the subject inexplicably changes within articles. It’s still a useful resource, because Mainland media is almost entirely devoted to replicating propaganda now (unlike during the Hu era). It’s just a shame that the critical articles that used to be its bread and butter are now outliers within the newspaper.
phantomathkg 5y ago
Hong Kong Free Press? https://hongkongfp.com/ https://hongkongfp.com/
- eatonphil 5y ago
  I'm asking about mainland China upper-middle-class journals/magazines.
baybal2 5y ago
> Have you noticed a big difference in coverage? An obvious turn to media manipulations. SCMP is the only HK media with access to state events most mainland government media can't get access to. You always see them getting very oddly timed "leaks", and "insider interviews" — things for which people get firing squads in the mainland.

beerandt 5y ago

They've already got tons of outlets telling the official news, so one more is probably of minimal worth. However, it you continue to run it as a mostly unbiased/outsider publication, it'll be more credible when the occasional bit of propaganda is mixed in. What's the alternative? Abrupt change that not only gives away it's new ideological slant, but also could serve as a rallying point?

marlor 5y ago

There’s definitely been a shift in tone in articles from the SCMP over the past five years. It used regularly provide highly critical coverage of both the Hong Kong and Chinese Governments. It was broadly supportive of the Umbrella Movement, and regularly provided unbiased coverage of the localist movement. The whole media environment has shifted now, and the SCMP, while still providing some critical coverage, is a shadow of what it was. Frustratingly, critical articles also seem to be edited to within an inch of their life. You can easily spot where content has been removed and/or replaced as the tone shifts dramatically and the subject inexplicably changes within articles. It’s still a useful resource, because Mainland media is almost entirely devoted to replicating propaganda now (unlike during the Hu era). It’s just a shame that the critical articles that used to be its bread and butter are now outliers within the newspaper.

phantomathkg 5y ago

Hong Kong Free Press? https://hongkongfp.com/ https://hongkongfp.com/

eatonphil 5y ago
I'm asking about mainland China upper-middle-class journals/magazines.

baybal2 5y ago

> Have you noticed a big difference in coverage? An obvious turn to media manipulations. SCMP is the only HK media with access to state events most mainland government media can't get access to. You always see them getting very oddly timed "leaks", and "insider interviews" — things for which people get firing squads in the mainland.