Randy W Posted December 12, 2015 Report Share Posted December 12, 2015 (edited) It's interesting to see a mainland company buy a newspaper which is outside the influence of the Chinese censors (although it was mainly viewed as being pro-Beijing) - down with the pay wall !! Letter to readers of the South China Morning Post, from Alibaba's executive vice chairman Dear readers, By the time you read this, you will have heard the news that Alibaba Group is acquiring the South China Morning Post. With an age difference between the two companies of nearly one hundred years, this is truly a mix of the old and the new. The SCMP is resonant with the history, heritage and culture of the region, just as Alibaba has its place in the new age of digital technology. We at Alibaba are both humbled and excited to be the new owner. Our Business Case So, you’re probably wondering why. Why is Alibaba buying into traditional media, considered by some a sunset industry? The simple answer is that we don’t see it that way. The SCMP has iconic status in the region, with a strong reputation internationally for the quality and credibility of its journalism over the years, thanks to its reporters and editors who have worked hard to build this heritage. Like many print media, however, the SCMP faces challenges amid the dramatic changes in the way news is reported and distributed. But these changes play to Alibaba’s strengths, which is why we believe the two companies complement each other well. We see a compelling business case for the acquisition because we believe that Alibaba is best positioned to take the SCMP to the next level. The foundation for this work must be the quality of the content. And what underpins this will be editorial excellence: a clear pre-requisite to maintaining readers’ trust and, ultimately, achieving commercial success. Be assured, we get that. Yet, the news business is in a state of flux. It has already gone digital and is now moving from online destination to other forms of distribution, in particular social media and mobile. Media now has a global audience and the challenge is to reach it in the most efficient and reader-friendly way. With proven expertise in digital distribution, especially on mobile devices, Alibaba is in an excellent position to leverage technology to create content more efficiently and expand distribution without borders. In other words, we see the perfect opportunity to marry our technology with the deep heritage of the SCMP to create a vision of news for the digital age. Our Vision Our vision is to grow the readership globally. We believe we can do this because the SCMP, from its base in Hong Kong, is uniquely positioned to report on China with objectivity, depth and insight, a proposition that is in high demand by readers around the English-speaking world – from New York to London to its home in Hong Kong – who care to better understand the world’s second-largest economy. To help achieve our vision, we plan to make the SCMP more readily available. In this spirit, soon after we take over operations the paywall on SCMP.com will come down, and you will be able to access its content for free on the Internet and on your mobile device. We will also invest to strengthen the foundation of editorial excellence. Only through additional resources will the SCMP be able to stay true to its core values of quality, integrity and trust. Further, the SCMP will stay close to its roots, with a strong China focus offering distinctive and informed analysis on trade, business, economy and society while maintaining its status as the paper of record for Hong Kong. Editorial Independence Some have suggested that ownership by Alibaba will compromise the SCMP’s editorial independence. This criticism 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. In reporting the news, the SCMP will be objective, accurate and fair. This means having the courage to go against conventional wisdom, and taking care to verify stories, check sources and seek all viewpoints. These day-to-day editorial decisions will be driven by editors in the newsroom, not in the corporate boardroom. It’s humbling to assume the responsibility of ownership of such a storied newspaper. We thank the Kuok family who have been tremendous stewards of your trust; we hope Alibaba will have an opportunity to earn your trust. Sincerely,Joseph C. TsaiExecutive vice chairmanAlibaba Group Holding Limited Edited December 12, 2015 by Randy W (see edit history) Link to comment
Randy W Posted December 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2015 . . . and some concerns from a former editor and columnist Who is behind the bid by Alibaba to acquire SCMP?As a former editor and columnist for the South China Morning Post (SCMP), I have mixed feelings about the news that Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. is making an aggressive bid to acquire the century-old English newspaper. Sources said Jack Ma Yun, Alibaba’s co-founder and chairman, is determined to build his own media empire and that his negotiations with Robert Kuok Hock Nien, who owns a controlling stake in the SCMP, are already in the home stretch. In fact, ever since the SCMP was acquired by Kuok in 1993, the paper has become increasingly pro-Beijing, and its acquisition by Alibaba would only reinforce that stance. It is not difficult to see that it is Beijing that is pulling the strings behind the scenes over this deal and that Ma’s decision to buy the SCMP is part of the Communist Party’s plan to “tidy up” the media in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan to curb criticism against itself and silence the voices of dissent. It goes without saying that the best way to shut the media up is to own it. . . . One of the most influential entrepreneurs in China closely connected with the so-called “Second Red Generation” of the Communist Party, Ma might keep a low profile and not introduce too many radical changes to the SCMP, at least during the first couple of years after his acquisition, so as not to attract too much attention. But it is almost certain that the paper will toe the party line even further in the days ahead. Beijing can also make use of the SCMP’s influence in the Asia-Pacific region to advance its propaganda campaigns. Link to comment
tsap seui Posted December 12, 2015 Report Share Posted December 12, 2015 Yep, like our newspapers have become. Link to comment
Randy W Posted December 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2015 What I have found most scary was Rupert Murdoch buying the National Geographic National Geographic Society and 21st Century Fox Agree to Expand Partnership Link to comment
Randy W Posted December 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2015 Alibaba buys the South China Morning Post: Full Q&A with executive vice chairman Joseph Tsai Why does Alibaba want to buy SCMP? What value do you see in us? SCMP is a unique property. It's the English-language paper of record. It's the only English-language paper in Hong Kong that everybody will read for that matter. It's uniquely positioned because from the vantage point of Hong Kong you can cover China very well. And SCMP has been able to build up this journalistic and editorial capability to cover China - the Chinese economy, Chinese society, etc. That is a unique vantage point that none of the western organisations have. We see this as a great opportunity to create a unique product. Our vision for SCMP is to build a global readership. It is not just for expats or senior executives or companies in Hong Kong, but it is for anybody who cares to know more about China and to understand China - whether you are in New York City or London or Sydney or anywhere where English is spoken, the content of SCMP should be available. So we are very excited to take on this responsibility of ownership. Even though some say the newspaper industry is a sunset industry, we don't see it that way. We see it as an opportunity to use our technological expertise, and use our digital assets and know-how to distribute news in a way that has never been done before. Link to comment
Randy W Posted April 5, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 5, 2016 Yay! I had paid my money but still had to re-login after every 5 articles. TUESDAY, APRIL 05, 2016BREAKING NEWShttp://promotions.scmp.com/images/marketing/edt_newsletter/breakingnews/scmp_logo.png05 APRIL, 2016, 06:39 PM Paywall comes down as Alibaba takes ownership of SCMP From now, SCMP.com is free to read. Download the brand new app for iPhone, Android and Windows smartphones for quick and easy access to the latest news Copyright © 2016 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved Link to comment
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