JOURNALISM IN CHINA

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 80, 30 December 1918, Page 8

JOURNALISM IN CHINA

\ UNIQUE PRESS

EDITORS CHEAP

Peking is unique in a variety of respects, but in-nothing more unique tliim in its newspapers, writes tho Peking corrospomlent of the London "Times." There is a dividing line to be drawn between tho ordinary and the 'unordimiry. Our ordinary liewspapors include three published in English, all owned by_ Chinese; ono in French and one in Chinese, owned by -Japanese. All of them are subsidised, ■ for they could . not wist otherwise, .owing to the. scarcity of advertisements mid the fact that subBcribers are limited to the few foreigners and th» liandful of Chinese who are able and care to read a foreign language. The Japanese paper, the "Shuntien Sliihpao," is rather an exception, because, for reasons which will appear, it lias a much lni'csir circulation and is patronised by Japanese advertisers. All of the above- , have their own printing presses. Beyond these, tho capital boasts some 35 daily publications, and it is safe to Hay that tho circulation of none exceeds 3000 a day. Probably only half a dozen get beyond the 1000. The rest are mere sheets which have practically no nale, but which continue to see the light of day because somebody has an interest in producing them. There are practically ho purely Chinese advertisements in the Peking- newspapers. There is no trado in the capital, and the shops never think of appealing- to the public in this way. Business is conducted in primitive ways, and in any case there is no public to rosnond to advertisement. How, thon, does our Press live, stenle in advertisements, poverty-stricken in the matter of subscribers? The siniplo explanation is that all papers are maintained at a loss by political parties, by Government Deportments, and by private or public individuals who hare axea to grind. The Cabinet, tho Ministries of War. Finance, Communications, and roreifjn Affairs, aro always anxious to l>nt a plausiblo appearance on their doings, and a monthly trifle enables thorn to do it. Tho political parties Want to "boost" their policies, and statesmen, standing and fallen, find it useful to have an organ to , sing their praises. Some of tho newspapers caino into existnnco to fulfil these laudable objects; others, perhaps suddenly deprived of supnort, find it necessary to >persuade somebody with power or {hat it is better to havo them for friends than enemies. Interested motives are behind them nil, and such a thing an an independent paper run on commercial lines dopq not exist in this benighted metropolis.

Difficulties of Production. To print these numerous publications there are about six printing presses, all run by hand. It is. a dolorous business setting up a Chinese newspaper, for, instead of iS6 letters and 10 numbers, -with tho UHual variations of capitals, italics, etc., the compositor, has to deal with somo 5000 different characters. It is one of., the mysteries of tho profession how a poor, illiterate coolie on a few dollars a, mouth manages to find his vrajr about the regiments of cases. And-with the necessity to maintain such a great diversity of characters, printing presses cannot afford to have many, of each. So, when constitutional politics' are the topio of the day, the press that prints several papers for angry editors is very hard put to it to keep shifting its "limited stock of "constitution" characters from frame to firame. The doing of it is nothing short of a mechanical miracle.

The staff of a Chinese newspaper in Peking generally consists rf tho editor and tho proprietor, who are ono and indivisible. Only one or two papers have their own reporter. Whence then the news? The better-off subscribe to Eeuter's telegrams, which they get for a fraction of the sum .paid by foreign papers. Tho news thus obtained is printed without comment, for the editors do not know enough to discuss tho points.that nrise, while tho minds of their readers are almost* blank as regards foreign questions. The war excites little interest, except when the Germans are reported to be penetrating: into the Far BustGenerally tho Chinese class all foreigners, except the Japanese, together, and Germans and French, British and lurks we all oiio to them. If they are any ; thing they are pro-German, because ot the spectacular character of German successes, and because Germans have taken the trouble to demonstrate to them the inevitability of German victory, while the Allies have hardly troubled to expound their .position. The printed Allied propaganda that circulates thinly about China inijfht as well be thrown mlo the sea for all the impression it creates. _ The Chinese «ro interested chicly m their own politics, and more in the doings of tho figures of tho day than in their policies. An epoch-making Presidential Mandate is less attractive ns news than the announcement of the passing of n beautiful concubine between two generals. The amount of "(squeeze' made by a list of individuals connected -with any public or private "deal" makes succulent reading, caviare to none, Iroin the cook in the kitchen to tho Prince in his palace. The business of an editor, therefore, is to concoct daily a string of platitudes bolstering the man or tho party or tho department which pays him, to find an .entertaining piece ot scandal, to shove in foreign telegrams, and to trust the agencies for the balance:

Relief For Editors. These agencies tire a curious growth. When Yiinii Shih-kni planned to wnfco himself Monarch, he put Hie (Hiielne on all tbo Opposition papers. But he could not still the voice of the "Munition Shili-pao," tho Japanese- organ, because of the cxtra-lerrttoriality under whioh it slieltcred. The Japaiieso were dead against Yuan, and their paper .vpasted him and his methods day mid nisht.to. tho delight of the Peking populace, whicli regarded Yuan as a tyrant and a usnrpor. The "Slumteiu-pao," alono free to say what it would about tho touio of the clay end the progress of the linjjellion in the South, achieved a great temporary popularity, and was universally read. When I'lian collapeed tlio "blnintien Shili-pno" sank buck somewhat, for tho Chinese Preas, with Hie UcpuWiu once more in tho ascendant, become free and was able to cater to tho public taste. The Japanese then Bet up a news ngenev, tlirousli winch moy distributed gratis i<> all the papers iv daily sheet of news Heme, including locn and'provincial intelligence, nil tinctured with Japanese ideas. Tho Chinese quickly tumbled to the agency, idea, and now thoro aro half-a-dozen Chrneso institutions of the kind at work- Editors a-ro entranced by the system, for \hey Bit in dignity in their offices and select what they like from the mass of matter submitted daily by tho agencies. A'o more need to run round looking for news, no more expensive reporters to pay. Except the actual leading articles and telegrams, tho newspapers in Peking aro now_ practically filled with what, they get. from the agencies for an aggregate of perhaps SOdol. (about vCi 10s.) a month. Tho editors and tho men who conduct the agencies are mostly returned students from .Tapan, whose education has tan scamped, and whoso knowledge of world affairs is infantile. An editor can bo hired for fifldol. (about ..1:9) 11 month, and very fow get much more. The editors who have spent a year in Japan regard themselves as. immeasurably superior to the fow old-fashioned literati who strive to sernpo a living by newspaper work. The Chinese scholar thinks a well-tarucd phrase Huflicient to illiimimi a whole pagp of ijL'dantic drivel. Tlio man who has been abroad is contemptuous of tin? old fellows, who are satisliccl to play with words in 11 world that is full of action. It is rather pathetic that tlio noise and roughness of these younger men should prevail over the sdinlars, for whom life con I'd in!) littli; oi*. than the adoration of the classics and tlio ir.anner.s they inculcate.