A BETTER CHINESE PRESS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 8, 2 October 1937, Page 15

A BETTER CHINESE PRESS

Increasing Popularity

Cbina, witb the oldest journalism ln {ha world, to-day has the newest, in Ihe view of Mr Hubert S. Uang as expressed ia, his brochure, "Development of Hodern Chinese Press," published by the Council of International Affaira, Nanking. "It ia a Press," he says, "whicb daijy throws oS another tradition of tie past and evolves a new method to meet a modern need." Cbina 's first newspapers appeared bundreda of years ago ia the fonn of "Gazettes," circulating almost exeluslvsly among tbe official ciass aad witb pablic circulatioa provided only through conuivance contrary to law. Contents included recommendation oi individuals f or promotion, impeachmentB, of removal from office or fTom atation to station, and of rewards or degradatiOM, together witb expressions from the Bmperor aad BQfiie jndication of general happenings. For tbe general pablic tbere were sm&ll "gossip sheets ' ' of whicb tbe present-day Chinese ' 1 mosquito papers" are direct descendants— keoping alivo a laclc of faitb in tbe Press whicb ig cbaracteristic of tbe Cbineae public and wbieb present-day consorsbip bas, if anytbing, beigbtened. However, in Mr Liang's view, "tbe power of tbe Press growa ateadily, and tbia is being realised in all circles. Tbe Government continues to supervise the Press in nearly all possible waya, and ascendanfc military and politieal powers always make baste to avrogate to their control aa many newspapers as possible." Pollowing establiphment of tbe ro* publie in 1911 many of tbe Chinese newspapers steered away from politics, mwfl "tb® era of daily journalism as* a business onterprise was inaugurated." Tbe Shanghai Sbun Pao is regarded as tbe oldest Chinese newspaper of tbis , type. It was started by an Englishman 65 years ago, taben over by Chinese interests, and for years it l"d tbe largest eircnlation of Cbinesh newspapers, teaching a figure as bigb *s 150,000 witb eircnlation b r" at bome

and -broad. Its annual net profit i considered tp bo i~ - mnd *"")(), OQQ b «i5o;ooo. Tbe Sin Wan Pao, formerly owcn by the American Dr. J, C. Fergnsoi but sold to tbe Sbun Pao interests ii 1935, now bas a larger circulation tbui tbe Sbun Pao and it also puta out fu evening edition— an snnovation in ' field formerly exclusively morning, hui an increasing popular practice. "By far tbe best-edited and prob ably tbe most mfluential newspaper ii Cbina to-day," says Mr Liang, "is noi found in Sbangbai, however, but u Tientsin. Tbis paper is tbe Ta Rung Pao (L'impartial)"— wbicb recently; in view of tbe increasing Japanoat domination of Tientsin, started a' ino tessful Sbangbai edition. Tbe B.uomiatang Party bas establishfcd many aubsidisod papers and it? Oontial News Agency servea more tbae 350 papers. Kecent years bave seen temarkable strides toward better make-up, more diversificd news, and general modernisa* tion, Mr Liang finds. ln tbe mattoi of news ossemblsge be notes a breaking away from rigid classification, Tbore are now at least three full* didged rcbools of departments of journaitsm, "uustly modelled on American Imes," in addition to many journalism courses, the nuthor notes. Tbere is alsc a growing faolidnrity among members oi tbe newspaper craft, especially to combat oneroa, b.nents in Press freedom* Among tbe trends Mr Liang discerns in the future afe an increasing "prole tarianism" of tbe Chinese Pfcss, witb growing literacy and tbe steady raising of tbe economic status of the masses; a steady modernisation, witb employment of sciebtiiie inventions and discoveries to speed np production and a development of tbe evening paper field whicb was untouched until 1931; and probably a trend toward standardisation tbrougb use of press aasociation and syndicate material and also witb government censorsbip and propaganda tending to standardise botb news and views.