Chinese newspapers seek to reinvigorate amid revenue decline

Faced with a sharp revenue decline, China's newspaper industry is now focussed on expanding its operations to new markets while exploring the online platform and social media to increase influence and generate profits.
With their revenue seeing around 30 per cent decline annually over the last few years, newspapers are foraying into international market outside China as well as exploring new media to bring more and more potential readers to their fold.
"We have seen huge progress in new media in China. We have nearly 3.2 million registered websites in China, though some of them are very small websites. Also, we have seen progress in quick development of social networking site 'Weibo' and also have 'We Chat' and their users are millions," Zhu Shouchen, Executive Secretary of All China Journalists Association, told a visiting delegation of Indian scribes.

Zhu said that Chinese newspaper industry was also witnessing the global trend of decline in newspaper revenue and at the same time there was surge in new media so newspapers were expanding their presence on the internet platform.
"It is true that business of print media is declining but it is slower than the world speed. Younger generation no longer loves newspaper and remains active on mobile phone," he said.
Zhu said that people in China have become so obsessed with the new media that whenever they visit any foreign country, the first thing which they do is to pick up their phone and check for updates.

"'We Chat' has nearly 700 million users. In China, there are over 1,900 newspapers and the working force, that includes editorial and other staff, is nearly one million," Zhu said.

Leading multi-language news website China.Com.Cn, managed by the China international Publishing group, witnessed exponential growth and is now planning to foray in Indian market also.
The comprehensive website broadcasts exclusive interviews with political leaders, diplomats, scholars and celebrities.
The organisation has also engaged international experts and scholars to publish exclusive opinions and interpretations of various policies.
"We produce 300 news articles including around 80 special reports in ten languages which receive good response from readers, which has made us a key website. We cover news in politics, economics, environment, sports and our stories have been quoted by Western media," Li Xiaohua, Chief Editor of the English service of the website, said.