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Key Information

South China Morning Post
Traditional Chinese南華早報
Simplified Chinese南华早报
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinNánhuá Zǎobào
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationNàahm wàh jóu bou
JyutpingNaam4 waa4 zou2 bou3

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.[1][2] Founded in 1903 by Tse Tsan-tai and Alfred Cunningham, it has remained Hong Kong's newspaper of record since British colonial rule.[3][4]: 251  Editor-in-chief Tammy Tam succeeded Wang Xiangwei in 2016. The SCMP prints paper editions in Hong Kong and operates an online news website that is blocked in mainland China.

The newspaper's circulation has been relatively stable for years, totaling about 100,000 daily copies as of 2025.[5] 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.[6] The Guardian has described the SCMP as "Hong Kong's most prestigious English-language newspaper," and it reaches 35 million readers across multiple platforms (as of September 2024).[7]

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.[2] On 5 April 2016, Alibaba Group acquired the media properties of the SCMP Group, including the SCMP.[1][8] In January 2017, former Digg CEO Gary Liu became the SCMP's chief executive officer.[9]

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.[10][11]

History

[edit]

Origins

[edit]

Anti-Qing revolutionary Tse Tsan-tai and British journalist Alfred Cunningham (克寧漢) founded the South China Morning Post in 1903,[12]: 25  publishing its first issue on 6 November 1903.

The purpose of founding the SCMP is disputed, although it has been attributed to supporting the reform movement in the late-Qing Empire.[13]: 27 

Early editorials were mainly written by British journalists, such as Cunningham, Douglas Story and Thomas Petrie, while Tse attracted business to the newspaper.[14]: 27  The editors maintained a good relationship with the Hong Kong government.[14]: 27  In 1904, the newspaper's circulation was 300 copies.[15]: 71 

The newspaper faced competition from three English-language newspapers: the Hong Kong Daily Press, China Mail, and Hong Kong Telegraph.

Post-war era

[edit]

After the Second World War, the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) bought majority shares in the newspaper.[12]: 25  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).[16] SCMP relisted in 1990.[12]: 25 

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.[17]: 323  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.[17]: 323 

For most of the 1990s, the SCMP was the world's most profitable newspaper.[18] By 1993, the SCMP's daily circulation exceeded 100,000 and posted profits of HK$586 million (US$75.6 million) from mid-1992 to mid-1993.[19]

In September 1993, Murdoch was in negotiations to sell his 50 percent interest in the SCMP as part of a scheme to increase the News Corporation's investments in the Asian electronic media industry.[19] 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.[20][16]

Kuok's son, Kuok Khoon Ean, took over as chairman at the end of 1997.[21] Kuok Khoon Ean's sister, Kuok Hui Kwong, was named chief executive officer on 1 January 2009.[22] Kuok launched a general offer for the remaining shares in September 2007, and increased his stake to 74 per cent at US$209 million.[20] It was delisted in 2013 when the shares' free float fell below the required 25 per cent.[20]

Left to right: Mark Clifford and Gina Chua, former SCMP editors-in-chief, in 2022

Jonathan Fenby served as editor until 1999, when he was replaced by Robert Keatley from The Wall Street Journal, who became interim editor. Mark Ländler 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.[23] The SCMP has had 10 editors from 2000 to 2011.[24] Mark Clifford, editor-in-chief of The Standard from 2004 to 2006, was hired as editor-in-chief in February 2006.[25] Clifford brought with him several staffers from The Standard, including business section editor Stuart Jackson, who departed after seven turbulent months.[26] He presided over the controversial dismissal of several journalists over an internal prank,[27][28] and himself resigned with effect 1 April 2007.[29] 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.[30][31]

Wang Xiangwei [zh], a member of the Jilin Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, succeeded him in 2012.[32] Tammy Tam, senior editor of the China section, was promoted to deputy editor under Wang.[24] 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.[33][34][35]

In 2016, Tam was promoted to the newspaper's editor-in-chief.[31][36] In October 2025, Tam became the SCMP's publisher, while Chow Chung-yan was promoted to editor-in-chief.[37] The move united the SCMP's editorial and business operations.[38]

Alibaba ownership

[edit]

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.[2]

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).[8][39]

Alibaba's ownership of SCMP led to concerns that the newspaper would become a mouthpiece of the Chinese 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.[40] Alibaba said that the newspaper's editorial independence would be upheld.[41][42]

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'. 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."[42] He also said, "Today when I see mainstream western news organisations cover China, they cover it through a very particular lens. It is through the lens that China is a communist state and everything kind of follows from that. A lot of journalists working with these western media organisations may not agree with the system of governance in China and that taints their view of coverage."[41]

The acquisition by Alibaba was completed on 5 April 2016.[1] Following the acquisition, SCMP took down the paywall to its website.[43][44][45]

According to a 2016 public survey conducted by the Centre for Communication and Public Opinion Survey at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the SCMP received a credibility rating of 6.54, the highest credibility score among the various paid newspapers in Hong Kong.[46]

In July 2020, SCMP announced that it would return to a subscription model in August 2020.[47][48]

In March 2021, it was reported that the Chinese government was pressuring Alibaba to sell SCMP, due to concerns over the company's influence over public opinion in Hong Kong. Critics say this is designed to move the paper under the ownership of Chinese state-owned firm or an associated billionaire, placing it under the influence of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).[49][50] In a leaked internal November 2021 memo, SCMP CEO Gary Liu denied any sale was in the works.[51]

Closure of subsidiary publications

[edit]

Since the Alibaba acquisition, the SCMP has discontinued several subsidiary publications, including its Chinese-language edition, the 48 HOURS weekend magazine, and the popular HK Magazine alternative weekly. The 48 HOURS staff continue to write on other SCMP platforms. Zach Hines, former editor-in-chief of HK Magazine from 2000 to 2015, said that closing the magazine is an effort to shift the focus away from Hong Kong to mainland China and target western readers.[52] Hines wrote in the Hong Kong Free Press of its closure:[53]

The South China Morning Post purchased us at the right time, and for sensible reasons. The media landscape was changing dramatically, as it continues to do, and their ownership bought us a few final years of life. But, like "One Country, Two Systems", this odd and uncomfortable marriage was never going to last. To be a truly independent press, you cannot be beholden to anyone except your readers. But, to my great dismay, this is becoming an increasing impossibility in Hong Kong, in both the mainstream Chinese and much-smaller English media. SCMP is owned by Alibaba, perhaps the biggest pro-China organization in the world, if you don't count the Communist Party. The paper's business interests are also drifting away from Hong Kong, and toward readers in the United States and the rest of the west. HK Magazine is a canary in the coal mine. [...]

Initially SCMP stated that the HK Magazine website would be deleted from the internet,[54] but the move was criticised. The Hong Kong Journalists Association lodged an inquiry with SCMP management. Hines stated, "It is unthinkable that a newspaper of record would ever consider deleting content from its archive. The SCMP should be held to proper journalistic standards. HK Magazine was an important feature of Hong Kong's media landscape, and it must be preserved. Deleting it would be an utter travesty of journalistic principles – and a slap in the face to SCMP's readers and to Hong Kong society in general."[55] Following the negative reaction, SCMP stated that HK Magazine content would be migrated to the South China Morning Post website before the HK Magazine website was deleted.[56] Additionally, Hong Kong data scientist Mart van de Ven launched a public appeal to help archive back issues of the magazine, expressing doubt that SCMP would preserve the full archive.[57] He found that he was unable to access issue 1,103, which featured Leung Chun-ying on the cover.[57]

Circulation and profitability

[edit]

The paper's average audited circulation for the first half of 2007 stood at 106,054; while its Sunday edition, the Sunday Morning Post, has a readership of 80,865. In 2012, the readership of the SCMP and the Sunday Morning Post was estimated at 396,000.[58] Its readership outside Hong Kong remains at some 6,825 copies for the same period, again, relatively unchanged.[59] It also had the position as the most profitable newspaper in the world on a per reader basis, profit declined since peaking in 1997 at HK$805 million.[60] Its average audited circulation for the first half of 2015 stood at 101,652 copies, with the print edition representing 75 percent of the number of copies;[61] the Sunday edition registered 80,779 copies on average during the same period.[62]

The Group reported net profit of HK$338 million for the year 2006 (2005 = HK$246m), the operating profit of HK$419m (2005 = HK$306m) was attributable mainly to the newspaper operation.[63]

The selling price of the paper is HK$9 each from Monday to Saturday, and HK$10 for the Sunday Morning Post. A discounted student subscription is also available. It was increased 14.5% (from HK$7) and 25% (from HK$8) respectively in August 2011.

As of 26 August 2010, SCMP Group posted a profit of $52.3 million in the first half of 2010.[64]

Format

[edit]

The printed version of the SCMP is in a broadsheet format, in sections: Main, City, Sport, Business, Classifieds, Property (Wednesday), Racing (Wednesday), Technology (Tuesday), Education (Saturday), Style magazine (first Friday of every month); the Sunday edition contains Main, a Review section, a Post Magazine, Racing, "At Your Service", a services directory, and "Young Post", targeted at younger readers.

On 26 March 2007, the SCMP was given a facelift, with new presentation and fonts.[65] Another redesign in 2011 changed the typefaces to Farnham and Amplitude for headlines, Utopia for text, and Freight for headers.[66]

Online version

[edit]

SCMP.com had started out as a subscription-only service, which also allows the retrieval of archive articles dating back from 1993. It was launched online in December 1996. On 30 May 2007, SCMP.com relaunched with a new look, features, and multimedia content. Headlines and the introduction to stories were now free to view, while the full articles are available to subscribers. Archive photos and articles are available for purchase.

On 16 July 2007, SCMP.com launched its first-ever viral video marketing campaign targeting a global audience and highlighting the new multimedia features of the website.

At present, SCMP also provides free subscription to "The South China Morning Post iPad edition" for the Apple iPad.[67] SCMP.com launched a major redesign on 20 April 2015.[41]

It was announced in December 2015 that the new owners would remove the paywall,[41] and it was removed on the night of 4 April 2016. By doing so, SCMP said it wished to increase its readership globally and allow the global community to have access to its news of China. It vowed to better adapt to the reading habits of the readers.[45] The news site remains blocked in mainland China as of 2018.[68][10]

SCMP also provided a "China-focused" Chinese-language version of The Post, nanzao.com, but was shut down in 2016.[69]

Editorial stance and staff

[edit]

The previous owners of the publication, Kerry Group's Robert Kuok and his family, are claimed to be inclined towards the Chinese government, and questions were raised over the paper's editorial independence and self-censorship.[60] The paper's editors nevertheless did assert their independence during Kuok's ownership. There have been concerns, denied by Kuok, over the forced departures, in rapid succession, of several staff and contributors who were considered critical of China's government or its supporters in Hong Kong. These included, in the mid-1990s, cartoonist Larry Feign, humour columnist Nury Vittachi, and numerous China-desk staff, namely 2000–01 editorial pages editor Danny Gittings, Beijing correspondent Jasper Becker and China pages editor Willy Lam.[70][71][72][73]

Not long after Kuok's purchase of the newspaper, and after running several cartoons about the culling of human body parts from Chinese prisoners, Larry Feign was abruptly dismissed and his satirical comic strip "Lily Wong" axed in 1995. His firing was defended as "cost cutting", but was widely viewed as political self-censorship in the face of the imminent handover of Hong Kong to the PRC.[74] In his book North Wind, Hong Kong author Nury Vittachi documented that then-editor Jonathan Fenby, who had joined from The Observer of London, suppressed letters querying the disappearance of the popular strip and then busied himself writing letters to international media that had covered the Feign case defending the sacking.[75][76][77] Vittachi explained his own departure from the journal in his book, linking it to the pressures he – and other contributors – faced from top management and editors to abstain from writing on topics that were deemed "sensitive", basically in denial of the free speech rights enshrined in the Hong Kong Basic Law and the one country, two systems policy.[78]

In 2000, Fenby was succeeded by Robert Keatley, a former Wall Street Journal journalist. After the paper ran a story by Willy Lam on its front page about a delegation of Hong Kong tycoons meeting with General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Jiang Zemin,[2] in which it was reported that business opportunities in China were being offered as a quid pro quo for the tycoons' political support, the Chinese Liaison Office raised objections of insensitivity as well as incurring the owner's wrath.[2] Kuok berated Keatley in his office and wrote a two-page letter, which Keatley published in the letters section of the paper. Kuok stepped down as group chairman that year.[2]

Editorial page editor Gittings complained that in January 2001 he was told to take a "realistic" view of editorial independence and ordered not to run extracts of the Tiananmen Papers, though ultimately was allowed, after protesting "strenuously", to do so. The editor stated that there had already been sufficient coverage.[79]

At the launch of a joint report published by the Hong Kong Journalists' Association and Article 19 in July 2001, the chairman of the Hong Kong Journalists' Association said: "More and more newspapers self-censor themselves because they are controlled by either a businessman with close ties to Beijing, or part of a large enterprise, which has financial interests over the border."[70]

Editor-in-chief Wang Xiangwei, appointed by the owner in 2012 after consultation with the Liaison Office, was criticised for his decision to reduce the paper's coverage of the death of Li Wangyang on 7 June 2012.[33] Wang, who had left the office for the day, reportedly returned to the paper after midnight to reverse the staff editors' decision to run a full story. The SCMP published a two-paragraph report inside the paper; other news media reported it prominently.[80] A senior staff member who sought to understand the decision circulated the resulting email exchanges, that indicate he received a stern rebuff from Wang.[81][82] Wang made a statement on 21 June, in which he said he understood the "huge responsibility to deliver news... [and]... the journalistic heritage we have inherited". and said that his decision not to pursue extensive coverage as the story broke was pending "more facts and details surrounding the circumstances of this case".[83] Wang admitted that his decision on Li Wangyang was a bad one in retrospect.[84]

Reporter Paul Mooney said that the Li Wangyang story was not an isolated incident: Wang Xiangwei has "long had a reputation as being a censor of the news...Talk to anyone on the China reporting team at the South China Morning Post and they'll tell you a story about how Wang has cut their stories, or asked them to do an uninteresting story that was favorable to [mainland] China." Mooney, whose contract with the paper was not renewed in May 2012 reportedly because of budgetary reasons, said he had won more journalism awards than anyone else in the news team, but that for seven months prior to his departure from the newspaper, Wang had marginalised him by blocking him from writing any China stories, and then reportedly hiring several new young reporters, many from mainland China, after he had been ousted.[85]

Despite the reported sentiments of the owners, the SCMP does report on commemorations of the Tiananmen Square Massacre,[86] and ran an editorial criticising the one-child policy in 2013.[87] The SCMP published an interview with Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba and a member of the CCP, in which Ma defended late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping's decision to crack down on pro-democracy student protests, saying it was "the most correct decision". The relevant remark was deleted not long after the article was published; the reporter responsible for the interview was suspended and later was resigned. Alibaba said that Ma had been quoted "improperly", and demanded a rectification, but the editor-in-chief refused.[2][88] The New York Times stated that Alibaba is steering the newspaper into promoting the PRC's soft power, and several critical stories about China's current administration have been rewritten in an act of self-censorship by the top editors.[89] However, a few academics pointed out in 2013, 2016 and 2021 that there was a negative or discriminatory discourse present in SCMP's coverage of mainland Chinese people.[90][91][92][93]

Zhao Wei incident

[edit]

Questions were raised about the relationship between the publication and Chinese authorities after the SCMP was able to secure an interview with Zhao Wei, the legal assistant of human rights defender Li Heping, who was in the custody of Chinese police.[94] The SCMP was able to make contact with Zhao Wei a few days after her release from prison while she was still in the custody of Chinese security forces and at a time when neither her husband nor lawyer was able to reach her. The interview quoted Zhao giving what was taken to be a telephone confession, including "I have come to realise that I have taken the wrong path... I repent for what I did. I'm now a brand new person."[94]

Retraction of Shirley Yam's commentary

[edit]

On 22 July 2017, SCMP published a commentary by Shirley Yam insinuating that Li Qianxin, a woman with an uncommon surname (estimated 300,000 in China), is the daughter of Li Zhanshu, a close ally of General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Xi Jinping.[95] It also showed public records connecting Li Qianxin to a Singaporean investor named Chua Hwa Por. The piece was later removed by SCMP and replaced with a statement citing "multiple unverifiable insinuations".[96][97] Yam eventually resigned.[98]

Publication of an interview made under duress

[edit]

In 2018 the South China Morning Post published an interview with Gui Minhai, who was detained in China at the time. This raised concerns about the interview being fake or scripted, which caused backlash against SCMP. Magnus Fiskesjö, an associate professor at Cornell University and friend of Gui,[99] commented that:[100]

[...] the spectacle's producers included not just the usual propaganda arms of the regime (e.g. the Xinhua News Agency, etc.), but also the formerly independent South China Morning Post (SCMP) of Hong Kong. In agreeing to "interview" a torture victim in between the torture sessions, the paper gave in to pressure from China.

As a result of this incident, Fiskesjö said that "SCMP can no longer be trusted as an independent news organisation."[100]

Rejection of report on human rights abuses in Xinjiang

[edit]

In October 2022, Peter Langan, a former senior editor at the SCMP, said he resigned after the outlet rejected the publication of his three-month investigation into human rights abuses in China’s Xinjiang region. SCMP stated that the report failed to meet its "editorial verification process and publishing standards."[101]

Awards and recognition

[edit]

SCMP won three awards at the 2018 WAN-IFRA Asian Digital Media Event.[102] The paper won 11 awards the next year in the same contest[103] and in 2021, won nine awards at WAN-IFRA's 20th Asian Media Awards competition.[104][105]

The newspaper won a 2019 Sigma Delta Chi Award in Informational Graphics for their coverage of the 2019 Hong Kong protests.[106] In 2020, SCMP won another Sigma Delta Chi award in the same category for their coverage of COVID-19.[107]

The newspaper won 23 awards at the Society for News Design's 2020 Best of Digital Design competition, including three for articles covering the Hong Kong protests.[108] The newspaper also won four gold medals at the 2020 Malofiej Awards, including three for the paper's coverage of the Hong Kong protests.[109]

SCMP was announced as the winner of the Online News Association's 2020 General Excellence in Online Journalism award for large newsrooms.[110][111]

The newspaper won the grand prize at the 2020 Lorenzo Natali Media Awards for its report titled "The 'thin yellow line' standing between Hong Kong police and protestors".[112][113] The newspaper was also awarded the second prize at the 2020 World Press Photo Digital Storytelling Contest in the shorts category for the same story.[114]

SCMP's piece titled "Hong Kong Protests: 100 days of protests rock Hong Kong" was an honoree at the 2020 Webby Awards for Best Individual Editorial Feature.[115] The paper won another Webby in 2021 for its video titled "China's Rebel City – The Hong Kong Protests".[116]

In 2025, the newspaper won WAN-IFRA's "Best Digital Subscription or Reader Revenue Project" award for SCMP Plus, specifically its exclusive China-focused content.[117]

SCMP Group

[edit]
See also: Great Wall Pan Asia Holdings
South China Morning Post Publishers Limited
Native name
南華早報出版有限公司
Company typePrivate
Industry
  • Newspaper publishing
  • Online media
PredecessorGreat Wall Pan Asia Holdings
HeadquartersHong Kong
Key people
  • Gary Liu (CEO)
  • Elsie Cheung (COO)
OwnerAlibaba Group
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese南華早報出版有限公司
Simplified Chinese南华早报出版有限公司
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinNánhuá Zǎobào Chūbǎn Yǒuxiàngōngsī
Yue: Cantonese
Jyutpingnaam4 waa4 zou2 bou3 ceot1 baan2 au5 haan6 gung1 si1
Websitecorp.scmp.com
Taxi advertising in Central for the Classified Post by SCMP, c. 2008

Before the acquisition in 2016 by Alibaba, South China Morning Post belonged to the SCMP Group Limited, a company also involved in property investment and convenience store operation. In April 2016, the company announced that the transaction of their media businesses with Alibaba was completed. As the intellectual property rights to the name "SCMP" was also transferred, the company changed its name to Armada Holdings Limited, then to Great Wall Pan Asia Holdings.[118][119]

Now, the current publisher for the SCMP is South China Morning Post Publishers Limited (still commonly known as SCMP Group), which currently publishes, along with the South China Morning Post and Sunday Morning Post, the following newspapers, magazines and online platforms:[120]

Staff

[edit]

Writers employed by the SCMP include:

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

South China Morning Post

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia

The South China Morning Post (SCMP) is an English-language newspaper based in , established on 6 November 1903 by and Alfred Cunningham as the territory's first daily English paper. It focuses on news from , , Asia, and global affairs, maintaining a print edition alongside a prominent digital platform that reaches millions worldwide. Acquired by in December 2015 for HK$2 billion (US$266 million) from the Kuok family, the SCMP underwent significant editorial shifts, with Alibaba executives explicitly aiming to counter perceived Western media biases against by promoting a more balanced portrayal of the country. The newspaper has garnered recognition for journalistic excellence, including multiple wins in design competitions and regional media awards, reflecting its influence in Asian reporting. However, the Alibaba ownership prompted widespread over diminished independence, with critics documenting a pivot toward softer coverage of Beijing's policies, including reduced scrutiny of issues and amid Hong Kong's political pressures. This evolution has led observers to question its reliability as an unbiased source, particularly on China-related matters, contrasting its pre-acquisition reputation for critical analysis.

History

Founding and Early Development

The South China Morning Post (SCMP) was founded in on November 6, 1903, by , a Chinese revolutionary, writer, and reformer active in anti-Qing activities, and Alfred Cunningham, a British journalist with experience in colonial press operations. The newspaper launched as an English-language daily amid British colonial rule, with its first office situated on the waterfront between Connaught Road and , utilizing imported Linotype hot-metal machines from Britain and the for production. Priced at 10 cents per copy, the inaugural edition articulated an ambition to deliver "something very much better and more interesting" than competitors while committing to "tell the truth for the good of humanity." Early operations faced severe financial strain, recording a loss of HK$2,420.82 by December 1903 and operating without profit until 1913, exacerbated by difficulties in attracting investors in a competitive market dominated by established titles like the Hong Kong Daily Press. Survival hinged on the intervention of Joseph Whittlesey Noble, an American dentist who acquired majority shareholding by 1906 and imposed rigorous financial oversight to stabilize the venture. This period marked the paper's establishment as 's primary English-language outlet for regional news, particularly events in southern , though circulation details from the 1900s remain sparse in available records. By the 1910s, the SCMP achieved its first profitability in 1913 and expanded coverage to include the 1911 Xinhai Revolution in China and World War I developments, solidifying its role as a chronicle of colonial Hong Kong's ties to mainland upheavals. Key internal advancements featured the appointment of Henry Ching as the first non-European reporter and later editor from 1924 to 1957, alongside Ben Wylie's rise from the printing department to general manager, enhancing operational resilience through the 1920s amid labor strikes and economic flux. The paper's early trajectory reflected a blend of journalistic innovation and pragmatic adaptation in a port city reliant on trade and imperial networks, though it navigated tensions between British colonial interests and Chinese reformist undercurrents embodied by Tse's involvement.

Post-War Expansion and Challenges

Following the Japanese surrender on August 15, 1945, the South China Morning Post resumed operations after a nearly four-year hiatus during the occupation of , publishing its first post-war edition on August 29, 1945. This issue, printed on limited resources amid wartime devastation, emphasized the Allied victory, the restoration of British colonial administration, and urgent local concerns such as food shortages and repair, reflecting the newspaper's role in informing a battered populace of about 600,000. The resumption capitalized on Hong Kong's rapid post-war recovery, driven by refugee inflows from —population swelling to over 2 million by 1950—and the territory's emergence as a and trading hub, which boosted demand for English-language reporting on commerce, shipping, and regional politics. Expansion accelerated through the 1950s and 1960s as the Post invested in broader coverage, including dedicated sections on finance and China affairs, aligning with Hong Kong's industrialization and the influx of Western businesses. Circulation grew steadily, reaching around 80,000 daily by the mid-1960s, supported by advertising from expatriate firms and local elites who relied on its pro-colonial, anti-communist stance for reliable news amid Cold War tensions. The newspaper enhanced its production capabilities, overcoming initial paper rationing through imports and colonial government aid, while maintaining a broadsheet format that positioned it as the dominant English daily over rivals like the China Mail. This period marked a shift toward more analytical reporting on decolonization in Asia and economic booms, with the Post serving as a bridge between British authorities and the territory's cosmopolitan readers. Challenges persisted, including resource constraints and political pressures from pro-Beijing elements emboldened by the 1949 communist victory on the mainland. In the 1950s, the Post navigated colonial censorship on sensitive China topics while competing with surging Chinese-language outlets like Sing Tao Daily, which captured mass vernacular audiences amid literacy rises. The most acute test came during the 1967 riots, sparked by labor disputes and influenced by Mao Zedong's Cultural Revolution; pro-communist agitators targeted "reactionary" media, subjecting the Post to verbal attacks in leftist papers, boycott calls, and indirect threats via over 1,000 bomb incidents across Hong Kong, though its offices avoided direct assault due to heavy policing. These events strained operations, highlighting the newspaper's vulnerability in a polarized society, yet reinforced its resilience as a bastion of independent, Western-aligned journalism under British rule.

Ownership Transitions Pre-Alibaba

In 1986, , controlled by , acquired a in the publicly listed South China Morning Post publisher, marking a significant shift from its previous independent Hong Kong-based ownership structure. This purchase privatized the company in 1987, consolidating media assets under Murdoch's global portfolio amid expansion into Asian markets. The publisher was relisted on the in June 1990, offering 262.5 million shares to the public while retaining News Corporation's influence. By September 1993, sold its 34.9 percent controlling stake to Malaysian businessman for approximately HK$2.7 billion (about US$350 million), transferring majority control to Kuok's Kerry Media Ltd. Kuok, a prominent hotelier and investor with extensive business ties in , viewed the acquisition as a strategic in Hong Kong's premier English-language newspaper, which was then one of the world's most profitable publications with daily circulation exceeding 100,000 copies. Under Kuok's ownership through the SCMP Group, the newspaper maintained operational independence but benefited from his conglomerate's resources, including synergies with properties like the South China Morning Post's classifieds arm. Kuok retained control until the 2015 agreement with , during which period the Post navigated Hong Kong's evolving media landscape post-1997 while reporting annual profits in the tens of millions of Hong Kong dollars.

Alibaba Acquisition and Subsequent Changes

In December 2015, announced an agreement to acquire the media assets of SCMP Group, including the South China Morning Post, for HK$2.06 billion (approximately US$266 million), marking a shift from the previous ownership by Malaysian businessman Robert Kuok's Kerry Media. The deal, subject to regulatory approval, aimed to leverage Alibaba's digital expertise to expand the newspaper's global reach while targeting a broader audience in and internationally. The acquisition was completed on April 5, 2016, integrating SCMP into Alibaba's ecosystem under a structure that included an independent , though with Alibaba executives involved in oversight. Alibaba executive chairman publicly pledged to maintain the publication's editorial independence, stating in a December 2015 meeting with staff that the company would not interfere in newsroom decisions and intended to "tell 's story to the world" by countering perceived negative Western media portrayals of . Post-acquisition, SCMP underwent significant digital enhancements, including the removal of its online on April 5, 2016, to boost accessibility and traffic, drawing on Alibaba's data analytics and cloud technology for personalized content and audience growth. This shift contributed to a reported surge in digital subscribers and page views, with the publication reintroducing a partial subscription model in July 2020 to sustain revenue amid print declines. Editorial practices evolved under Alibaba ownership, with an observed increase in content framing more favorably, including expanded production of articles promoting Chinese and economic achievements, as noted by media analysts. A 2018 academic study documented a cultural co-orientation shift aligning SCMP's coverage closer to mainland positions on key issues, though the outlet continued some critical reporting on and -related topics. Critics, including journalists and outlets like , argued this reflected subtle pressure for alignment with Beijing's narratives, potentially eroding pre-acquisition , while Alibaba denied direct interference. Leadership transitions included the appointment of Gary Liu as CEO in 2016, who oversaw the digital pivot until his resignation in March 2022 amid broader Alibaba media strategy reviews. In November 2021, rumors surfaced of a potential sale to a Chinese state-backed entity, prompting Alibaba co-founder Joe Tsai to reaffirm commitment to SCMP's operations in an internal memo, dispelling speculation of ownership change.

Business and Operations

The of the South China Morning Post peaked in the early , with average daily sales exceeding 110,000 copies for the second half of 1992, marking a record at the time. By , unaudited figures reflected a decline, showing 102,013 daily copies for the weekday edition and 80,113 for the Sunday edition, compared to prior periods. Circulation stabilized around 100,000 daily copies through the mid-2010s, but post-2016 Alibaba acquisition, print volumes continued to erode in alignment with global newspaper industry shifts toward digital consumption, prompting a reduced reliance on physical distribution while maintaining production for core subscribers. Digital metrics have conversely surged, underscoring the publication's pivot. By 2025, SCMP claimed a global audience reach of 35 million, with 95% of digital traffic from outside and a geographic breakdown of 44% , 40% , and 16% /rest of world. Digital revenue's share of total income rose from 10% in 2016 to 40% by 2024, driven by enhanced online engagement and subscription models like SCMP Plus, which earned recognition for best digital reader revenue project in 2025. Website performance indicators improved, with global ranking advancing from 5,775 to 5,343 over the preceding three months as of September 2025. Pre-acquisition financials showed resilience, with SCMP Group reporting in turnover and HK$122.6 million net profit for 2014. In 2015, revenue stood at HK$1,121.7 million, yielding HK$316.2 million net profit attributable to shareholders. Under Alibaba ownership from 2016, the outlet returned to profitability through digital reinvention, enabling staff expansions and sustained operations despite print headwinds. This trajectory aligns with broader causal factors, including advertiser migration to online channels and audience fragmentation, offset by SCMP's targeted global expansion beyond its traditional base. The South China Morning Post is published in a compact format, which features dimensions smaller than traditional broadsheets but larger than tabloids, typically measuring approximately 57.7 cm in height for certain sections and supporting multi-column layouts with widths up to 32.2 cm. This format was adopted starting August 20, 2012, as part of a redesign to align with global trends among broadsheet publications while maintaining a premium feel. Advertising specifications indicate standard page heights of around 32 cm for full pages in modular ads, with column widths varying from 3.0 cm to 32.2 cm across up to five columns, and maximum depths reaching 54.0 cm. Print production occurs daily from to , with a separate Sunday Morning Post edition on Sundays, utilizing high-volume typical for modern . Historically, the newspaper relied on facilities such as the printing plant for production, which included contract services and supported expansion to multi-page editions by the early . Current operations continue in , leveraging one of the city's remaining presses amid a decline in local print infrastructure. Paper stock for special sections, such as panoramas, employs 70 gsm to balance quality and cost in .

Digital Transformation and Online Presence

The South China Morning Post established its initial online presence with the launch of SCMP.com on August 31, 1995, marking one of the earliest major developments for a -based . This followed an debut in 1995, focusing on extending print content digitally amid the emerging web era. Following Alibaba Group's acquisition in 2016, SCMP accelerated its , shifting from a print-centric model to a digital-first operation, which included overhauling its , mobile apps, and content delivery systems. Digital revenue, which constituted 10% of total revenue in 2016, expanded to 40% by 2024, driven by investments in audience analytics, AI-driven personalization, and geo-targeted homepages tailored for markets including , Asia, the , and the , with a site revamp completed in February 2020. A further homepage refresh in 2023 enhanced reader experience through improved navigation and content relevance. SCMP relaunched its digital subscription model in late 2020 after a multi-year hiatus, emphasizing premium access for global audiences, with 95% of digital traffic originating outside by 2025. The publisher leveraged technologies such as Google Cloud for tagging approximately four million images to boost and internal efficiencies. In 2020, it transitioned to a first-party platform called , reducing reliance on third-party trackers to enhance user privacy and engagement analytics. Video content emerged as a cornerstone of SCMP's online strategy, with a intensified focus starting around 2017 that propelled its YouTube channel to one billion lifetime views by October 2020 and subscriber growth from 27,000 to 1.45 million in three years. By September 2024, the channel exceeded four million subscribers, reflecting sustained investment in multimedia formats amid broader digital audience expansion to 35 million globally. Additional initiatives included launching a branded content studio in 2018 to integrate AI for targeted advertising and native storytelling.

Subsidiary Ventures and Restructuring

Classified Post, a recruitment-focused publication established in 1973, operates as a key subsidiary venture of the South China Morning Post, distributed weekly alongside the Saturday edition and complemented by the online platform cpjobs.com for job listings and career services. This arm targets Hong Kong's professional workforce, providing classified advertising and recruitment solutions integral to the group's diversified revenue streams. In June 2016, following Alibaba's April acquisition of the SCMP Group, Classified Post underwent restructuring with a redesigned print layout, enhanced digital presence, and the introduction of "," a supplement magazine geared toward young executives and entry-level professionals. This refresh aligned with broader post-acquisition efforts to modernize operations and integrate elements, though it predated deeper organizational shifts. In October 2015, ahead of the Alibaba deal, the SCMP Group acquired a 56.65% stake in MyDress Holdings for HK$39.7 million (US$5.12 million), venturing into e-commerce via the MyDress.com platform, Hong Kong's leading site in that niche at the time. The move represented an expansion beyond traditional media into retail, with founders retaining management roles; however, limited public updates since suggest it may have been de-emphasized or divested amid Alibaba's focus on core news assets. A notable occurred in 2021, when SCMP reduced its workforce by 4%—approximately 50 positions—primarily in editorial and production, to reallocate resources toward digital priorities and cost efficiency amid declining print viability and competitive pressures. This downsizing, described by management as necessary for strategic alignment, coincided with Alibaba's broader regulatory challenges in , including scrutiny over media ownership, yet did not lead to of SCMP. Overall, activities have remained ancillary, with emphasis shifting under Alibaba toward the publication's global digital expansion rather than expansive new ventures.

Editorial Approach

Historical Editorial Stance

Founded in 1903 by and Alfred Cunningham amid British colonial rule in , the South China Morning Post (SCMP) initially positioned itself as a proponent of truthful journalism aimed at promoting reforms in , with co-founder Tse advocating for modernization through its pages. Its early coverage emphasized dependable reporting on regional events, including special dispatches on the 1911 Chinese Revolution that provided insider perspectives on the fall of the , reflecting sympathy for nationalist upheavals while operating under colonial constraints. This stance balanced commercial viability—targeting British expatriates and Chinese merchants—with , as evidenced by its refusal to be "intimidated" in pursuing facts, though it filtered content to avoid undermining colonial stability or key advertisers. During the interwar and World War II eras, the SCMP maintained a pro-British orientation supportive of imperial governance, raising funds for war efforts (e.g., HK$2 million by 1941) and aligning with the colonial administration during events like the 1925 Canton-Hong Kong Strike, where it attributed unrest to external agitators rather than British policies to safeguard interests. Simultaneously, it expressed sympathy for , critiquing Qing corruption, endorsing reforms in and infrastructure, and covering movements like the May Fourth Incident positively without endorsing radicalism that threatened Hong Kong's business environment. Its anti-Japanese reporting intensified in , denouncing the invasion through editorials and pamphlets (e.g., Japanese Trample on Foreign Rights in China in 1938–1941), which drove circulation from 5,500 in 1932 to approximately 10,000 by 1941 and profits up 300% from 1936 to 1939, despite initial retention of Japanese advertisers for revenue. Publication halted during the 1941–1945 Japanese occupation, resuming postwar with emphasis on the British return and continued elite-oriented coverage. Approaching the 1997 handover, the SCMP upheld a critical editorial line toward the , rooted in Hong Kong's colonial legacy of press freedoms and skepticism of communist authoritarianism, enabling coverage of topics censored on the mainland. It provided extensive reporting on the 1989 protests, including the military crackdown, and later published editorials condemning the suppression while documenting annual Hong Kong commemorations, positioning itself as a countervoice to 's narrative. During the 1967 leftist riots—inspired by excesses—the paper offered daily accounts despite physical attacks on its offices, prioritizing factual documentation over alignment with pro-communist elements. This pre-handover independence, sustained by ownership focused on journalistic principles rather than direct ties, distinguished it as Hong Kong's , though always tempered by elite readership demands and economic pragmatism.

Influence of Ownership on Content

Alibaba Group acquired the South China Morning Post (SCMP) in December 2015 for HK$2 billion (approximately US$266 million), with the company's executives explicitly stating the purchase was motivated by a desire to counter what they described as the "biased lens of Western " and to present a more favorable portrayal of globally. This intention, articulated by chief financial officer , positioned the acquisition as a strategic effort to leverage SCMP's platform for enhancing international image amid perceptions of negative Western coverage. Following the buyout, empirical analyses of SCMP's content revealed a measurable shift in editorial orientation toward greater alignment with official Chinese government positions, particularly on topics involving 's policies. A 2018 academic study examining articles from 2014–2017 found that post-acquisition coverage increasingly mirrored the framing in mainland Chinese state media like , with reduced emphasis on adversarial narratives and more balanced or positive depictions of China's political and economic actions. This change coincided with internal adjustments, including the appointment of Alibaba-affiliated executives such as Gary Liu as CEO in June 2016, who emphasized digital expansion but faced accusations of prioritizing narratives sympathetic to over independent scrutiny. Critics, including media scholars and Hong Kong activists, have attributed this tonal evolution to Alibaba's structural incentives, given the company's reliance on favorable relations with the for its domestic operations; for instance, post-2015 reporting on sensitive issues like 's pro-democracy movements and policies exhibited less confrontational language compared to pre-acquisition eras, prompting concerns over diluted journalistic autonomy. While SCMP maintained some critical pieces, aggregated content metrics indicated a net reduction in China-skeptical viewpoints, with Alibaba's investments—exceeding $100 million by 2018—enabling expanded reach but arguably conditioning output to avoid antagonizing state regulators. Such dynamics underscore how ownership by a firm intertwined with Beijing's can causally steer media toward , even without overt directives, to safeguard commercial viability in China's controlled information environment.

Key Staff and Contributors

Tammy Tam has served as of the South China Morning Post since June 2016, succeeding Wang Xiangwei and assuming responsibility for the publication's overall editorial direction, strategic development, and newsroom leadership. She joined SCMP in late 2011 as Senior Editor, advancing to Deputy Editor in early 2012, with prior experience in journalism including roles at the . Under her tenure, the newsroom has emphasized digital expansion and Asia-focused reporting, drawing on a multinational team of over 650 staff across , , , and the . Wang Xiangwei held the position from February 2012 to 2016, during which he supervised acclaimed coverage and navigated the transition toward Alibaba's acquisition in late 2015. A veteran , he began his at China Daily for 20 years before joining SCMP in the 1990s, contributing columns on policy and international relations that reflected his roots and UK-based reporting experience. Earlier editors shaped SCMP's colonial-era stance and post-handover evolution, including Robin Hutcheon, who led from 1967 to 1986 amid Hong Kong's social upheavals and economic boom, prioritizing investigative reporting on local . Jonathan Fenby edited from 1995 to 1999, focusing on the 1997 handover and regional financial crises, later authoring books critiquing media under Chinese influence. Notable long-term contributors include columnist Alex Lo, whose opinion pieces since the 2000s have critiqued politics and policies from a pro-establishment perspective, often sparking debate on . Yonden Lhatoo, as News Editor, has overseen daily operations and breaking coverage on affairs, while Zuraidah Ibrahim serves as Deputy Editor, contributing to features on and gender issues in the region. These figures, alongside bureau chiefs in key markets, underpin SCMP's output of over 4.8 million monthly article pages read by .

Controversies

Editorial Retractions and Incidents

In July 2017, the South China Morning Post retracted a commentary by business columnist Shirley Yam that alleged connections between Singaporean investor Li Qianxin and a close adviser to Chinese President , citing "multiple unverifiable insinuations" in the piece as the reason for its removal. Yam, a journalist known for investigative work on corporate issues, resigned shortly thereafter, amid claims that the retraction reflected heightened editorial caution following Alibaba's 2016 acquisition of the newspaper. The incident drew criticism from press freedom advocates, who argued it exemplified pressures on media. In July 2020, the South China Morning Post withdrew multiple opinion pieces attributed to "Lin Nguyen," a fabricated persona linked to a UAE-backed influence operation aimed at discrediting Qatar, Turkey, and Iran through planted commentary in global outlets. The pieces, exposed by a Daily Beast investigation, praised UAE policies while Nguyen's profile photo was traced to an unrelated individual; the newspaper replaced them with notices acknowledging the inability to verify the author's identity. This episode highlighted vulnerabilities in opinion section vetting, as similar fake bylines appeared in other publications like Asia Times. In December 2023, the South China Morning Post again pulled an after failing to independently confirm the credentials of its purported author, marking a recurrence of verification lapses in contributed content. The newspaper maintains a formal policy, committing to amend inaccuracies across print and digital platforms upon identification, though public records of such fixes remain limited to occasional notices like a 2004 clarification on misattributed remarks in a story about journalists. These cases, concentrated post-ownership change, have fueled debates on the outlet's journalistic rigor, with critics attributing them to resource strains or external influences rather than systemic incompetence.

Accusations of Bias Toward

Following its acquisition by , completed on April 5, 2016, for approximately US$266 million, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) faced widespread accusations of tilting toward pro- narratives, driven by the e-commerce giant's founder Jack Ma's documented alignment with leadership and Alibaba's explicit goal of using the outlet to "tell China's story to the world" while countering what it described as distortions. Critics contended that this ownership shift, amid 's tightening control over media, incentivized to safeguard business interests in , where Alibaba operates extensively under regulatory scrutiny. A 2018 peer-reviewed of 63 SCMP articles on movements, spanning pre- and post-acquisition periods, documented an editorial pivot closer to official Chinese positions: mainland official quotes rose from 10.91% to 22.53% of total sourcing, while pro-independence activist quotes fell to 16.6% despite heightened mentions of the topic, indicating selective amplification of Beijing-aligned voices. This quantitative evidence supported broader claims, echoed by , that SCMP ramped up production of favorable China profiles—such as features on technological achievements and economic successes—while downplaying abuses or territorial disputes, effectively advancing Beijing's objectives abroad. Specific incidents amplified these bias allegations. In July 2016, SCMP published an interview with recently detained activist , in which she recanted her civil rights advocacy; the piece's sourcing—contacting Zhao despite her lawyer and husband's inability to reach her—drew suspicions of orchestration by Chinese authorities, with media analysts and internal staff decrying it as a "planted" tool that compromised journalistic integrity. During the , coverage faced rebuke for reframing events to favor police, as in an August 2019 subway clash article rewritten from depicting "cowering commuters" to praising "elite" officers pursuing "radical" masked protesters, alongside editorials invoking a pro-Beijing "silent majority" trope; such alterations, per accounts from nine current and former staff, stemmed from top-down edits enforcing narrative conformity. Further scrutiny arose from SCMP's 2018 interview with detained bookseller , arranged under evident government supervision and framed to echo Beijing's version of events, alongside the retraction of multiple pieces by a fictitious pro-China persona "Lin Nguyen," revealing attempts to covertly bolster mainland perspectives. These episodes, combined with reported staff exits amid editorial clashes and heightened post-2020 law, led outlets like The Atlantic to portray SCMP as a navigating autocratic pressures, where fear of diluted critical reporting on China. While SCMP has asserted ongoing commitment to balanced coverage, detractors argue the pattern reflects structural incentives under Alibaba ownership to prioritize access and favorability over adversarial scrutiny.

Impact on Journalistic Independence

The acquisition of the South China Morning Post (SCMP) by in December 2015 for HK$2.06 billion (US$266 million), completed in , prompted Alibaba executives to publicly pledge maintenance of , with Executive Vice Chairman Joe Tsai stating the outlet would not serve as a " tool" and emphasizing global journalistic standards. However, subsequent analyses documented an shift aligning SCMP's coverage more closely with official Chinese government positions, particularly on autonomy and cross-strait relations, as measured by increased sourcing from like Xinhua and reduced emphasis on dissenting views between and 2017. Evidence of compromised independence includes instances of , such as the 2022 cancellation of an investigative report on potential genocide in , which a former SCMP attributed to internal pressures amid Alibaba's mainland ties, leading to accusations of avoiding sensitive topics to evade Beijing's scrutiny. A interview with detained Hong Kong activist Wong Lok-kei, featuring a coerced "" obtained under unclear circumstances, fueled concerns that SCMP relied on mainland authorities for access, potentially at the expense of verification rigor and . Quantitative shifts post-acquisition showed a decline in references to independence advocates correlating with falling public support for , interpreted by researchers as adaptive framing rather than neutral reporting. Critics, including media observers, have highlighted a "slow " through preemptive avoidance of controversial critiques, predating but accelerating under Alibaba ownership due to the parent's economic reliance on Beijing favor, contrasting with SCMP's pre-2016 reputation for critical coverage. While SCMP editorials have occasionally defended operational , such as in responses to allegations, external assessments from outlets like The Atlantic describe the paper as increasingly navigating a "newsroom at the edge of ," where commercial imperatives and regulatory risks in erode investigative depth on and territorial disputes. This dynamic has led to staff concerns over long-term viability, with some journalists noting heightened caution in sourcing and framing to mitigate backlash.

Recognition and Global Reach

Awards and Industry Accolades

The South China Morning Post (SCMP) has garnered recognition from various and media organizations, particularly in categories spanning editorial excellence, digital , , and regional reporting in . In 2024, the outlet reported securing over 140 awards across , , , and , including 9 gold honors. At the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) Asian Media Awards, SCMP achieved notable success, winning 3 awards in 2018 and 11 the following year. In 2021, it topped the competition with 9 awards, including golds for Magazine Cover and Breaking Article, as well as silvers in Feature Article and Reporting. More recently, in 2025, SCMP earned two gold awards at WAN-IFRA events, highlighting advancements in . The Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) Awards for Editorial Excellence have also honored SCMP, with the publication receiving 11 awards in one cycle, including 4 top prizes and 7 honorable mentions for China-focused reporting. In 2025, its PostMag supplement won two SOPA honors: one for Excellence in Magazine Design and another for culture reporting. In digital and design competitions, SCMP claimed the 2020 Online Journalism Awards' General Excellence in Online Journalism for large newsrooms from the Online News Association. The Society for News Design awarded it 23 honors in 2020 and 94 in 2025, comprising 3 golds, 11 silvers, and 24 bronzes, emphasizing visual and strengths.

International Influence and Reception

The South China Morning Post (SCMP) exerts considerable international influence as a primary English-language source for news , Hong Kong, and regional affairs, with 95% of its digital traffic originating outside Hong Kong and reaching an estimated 35 million global audiences as of January 2025. Its audience demographics reflect broad appeal, comprising 44% from , 40% from , and 16% from and the rest of the world, bolstered by digital expansions including an international edition launched in April 2015 to capitalize on global interest in . The publication's online platform, scmp.com, has seen its global ranking improve from 5,775th to 5,343rd over recent months, with enhanced user engagement metrics such as a 73% increase in mobile article completion rates following site optimizations. Reception among international observers highlights SCMP's value for proximate reporting on opaque topics like Chinese politics and , positioning it as "arguably the world’s most important " for insights into media dynamics amid China's rising influence, according to The Atlantic in 2020. However, post-2016 acquisition by Alibaba—a company with ties to the Chinese government—SCMP has faced for an shift toward alignment with Beijing's perspectives, prompting allegations from outlets including and that it serves as a vehicle for promoting China's abroad. Academic analyses corroborate this, documenting a "cultural co-orientation" move closer to official Chinese stances on issues like protests. Bias assessments vary: rates SCMP as left-center with mixed factual reporting due to occasional unverified claims, while deems it middle-of-the-road and generally reliable for analysis. Critics abroad, including in geopolitical forums, argue the ownership structure compromises independence, rendering it less trustworthy for adversarial coverage of compared to its pre-Alibaba era, though it retains utility for data-driven economic reporting. This duality underscores SCMP's role as a for tensions between commercial imperatives and journalistic scrutiny in China-adjacent media.

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