I muttered 'fuck' under my breath when I read the news this morning. Not many news can make me swear anymore these days.
As an immigrant from Hong Kong, SCMP is one of the few remaining HK media that follows a centralist approach to news regarding China. Other HK medias have already picked their sides, similar to MSNBC and Fox news in US.
This buyout will be a major loss to press freedom in HK, and a loss of a rational voice to outsiders. SCMP will probably become another mouthpiece for China's central government.
I don't for a second believe China/Alibaba will 'maintain editorial independence.' To be successful in China, you need to have connections (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guanxi) . It is much of a 'you scratch my back, I scratch yours.' I am willing to believe Ma is a decent man, but how can a newspaper stay independent when its owner has to play this game?
As an immigrant from Hong Kong, SCMP is one of the few remaining HK media that follows a centralist approach to news regarding China. Other HK medias have already picked their sides, similar to MSNBC and Fox news in US.
This buyout will be a major loss to press freedom in HK, and a loss of a rational voice to outsiders. SCMP will probably become another mouthpiece for China's central government.
I don't for a second believe China/Alibaba will 'maintain editorial independence.' To be successful in China, you need to have connections (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guanxi) . It is much of a 'you scratch my back, I scratch yours.' I am willing to believe Ma is a decent man, but how can a newspaper stay independent when its owner has to play this game?