South China Morning Post

The South China Morning Post is a big newspaper.

It comes from Hong Kong. Two men started it a long time ago. They started it in 1903. Today, a group called Alibaba owns it. People read it on paper or on the web. Many people read it every month. It tells news to people in many lands. It is a very important paper to read.

The South China Morning Post is a big newspaper.

It is based in Hong Kong. Two men started it in 1903. Their names were Tse Tsan-tai and Alfred Cunningham.

Today, a group called Alibaba Group owns the paper. People can read it on paper or online. It reaches 35 million readers every month. In 2015, about 100,000 people read the daily paper. Some studies say it is a very trusted news source in Hong Kong.

Many people have owned the paper over the years. Rupert Murdoch owned it for a long time. Then, a man named Robert Kuok bought it in 1993. Alibaba Group bought it in 2016.

Some people have concerns about the new owners. They worry the paper might not be free to report the truth. They think the paper might try to show China in a better way. Alibaba says they want to make news about China fair. They say they want to show many different views.

The South China Morning Post is a famous English-language newspaper based in Hong Kong. It is known as a newspaper of record, which means it is a main source for important news.

The paper is very popular and reaches 35 million readers every month across different platforms. People can read the news in a printed paper version or on a website. The printed version uses a broadsheet format, which is a large size for newspapers. It has many different sections like Sport, Business, and Technology. The Sunday edition is called the Sunday Morning Post and includes a section called Young Post for younger readers.

How the newspaper works involves many different people and parts. Editors decide which stories are most important to tell to the public. In the past, editors even met with government officials to share information. The paper makes money through sales and subscriptions. For a while, it did not charge people to read its website, but it returned to a subscription model in 2020. This means readers pay a fee to access the news. The paper also has different sections for different days, such as a Property section on Wednesdays. This helps the paper serve many different kinds of readers.

The history of the paper began a long time ago in 1903. Two men named Tse Tsan-tai and Alfred Cunningham founded it. Their first issue was published on November 6, 1903. In the early days, the paper only had 300 copies in circulation. By 1904, it was already competing with three other English newspapers. Over many years, the paper changed hands several times. It was owned by News Corporation from 1986 until 1993. Then, a businessman named Robert Kuok bought it.

There are many important facts about the paper's growth and ownership. In 1993, the daily circulation was already over 100,000 copies. For much of the 1990s, it was the most profitable newspaper in the world. On April 5, 2016, the Alibaba Group bought the paper for HK$2 billion. Since then, the paper has had different leaders, such as Tammy Tam. She became the editor-in-chief in 2016 and later became the publisher in 2025. A survey in 2019 showed it was a very credible paid newspaper in Hong Kong. These numbers show how big and influential the paper has become.

Reading the South China Morning Post is like looking through a window at a changing world. It shows how Hong Kong and China have changed over the last hundred years. Some people worry that new owners might change how the news is told. They wonder if the paper will focus more on showing China in a positive light. Alibaba says they want to provide a fair view of China to the whole world. They believe the world needs many different views to understand such an important place. This makes the newspaper a very interesting subject to study.

The South China Morning Post, often called the SCMP, is a major English-language newspaper based in Hong Kong. It serves as a newspaper of record, meaning it is a primary source for documenting important events. The publication includes a Sunday edition known as the Sunday Morning Post. Today, the SCMP reaches approximately 35 million monthly readers across various digital and print platforms. It is a significant media entity that provides news to both local and international audiences.

The newspaper operates through a complex system of editorial and business management. Editors-in-chief oversee the journalistic content and decide which stories are most vital for the public. Historically, editors even attended meetings at Government House to receive disclosures intended to influence public opinion. The business side manages circulation, which refers to the number of copies distributed. In 2015, the daily circulation was about 100,000 copies. The printed version uses a broadsheet format, which is a large, traditional newspaper size. This format is organized into specific sections, such as Business, Sport, and Technology, to serve different interests.

Ownership of the SCMP has changed many times throughout its long history. It was founded in 1903 by Tse Tsan-tai and Alfred Cunningham. Their first issue was published on November 6, 1903. In its early years, the paper had a circulation of only 300 copies. After World War II, the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) bought majority shares. Later, Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation owned the paper from 1986 until 1993. In 1993, Malaysian businessman Robert Kuok acquired a controlling interest for US$375 million. This period marked a time when the SCMP was one of the most profitable newspapers globally.

A major shift occurred on April 5, 2016, when the Alibaba Group acquired the SCMP Group. The acquisition cost HK$2 billion, which is roughly US$266 million. This change in ownership brought new discussions regarding editorial independence. Some critics, including The New York Times and The Atlantic, expressed concerns about the paper's direction. They suggested the paper might act to promote China's soft power, which is the ability to influence others through culture and values rather than force. Academic studies have noted a shift in editorial stance toward the Chinese government. A 2021 analysis suggested the SCMP is a more effective conveyor of soft power than state media due to its specific tone.

Alibaba has defended its ownership of the newspaper. Joseph Tsai, the executive vice-chairman of Alibaba Group, argued that the paper provides a necessary plurality of views. He stated that Western media often views China through a specific lens. Alibaba's goal was to make coverage of China appear fair and accurate to the world. Despite these concerns, the SCMP remains a highly regarded source. A 2019 survey by the Chinese University of Hong Kong found it to be the most credible paid newspaper in Hong Kong. In 2016, it received a credibility rating of 6.54 in a different public survey.

The newspaper has also undergone structural changes to its publications. Since the Alibaba acquisition, several subsidiary publications have been discontinued. These include the Chinese-language edition and the HK Magazine alternative weekly. The closure of HK Magazine was controversial among journalists. Some felt that deleting or migrating content was a loss to the journalistic archive. Former editors have expressed concern that shifting focus away from Hong Kong toward mainland China changes the paper's original mission. These changes reflect how the media landscape in the region is evolving.

Understanding the SCMP requires looking at its connection to broader political and economic systems. The paper's history is tied to the colonial era of Hong Kong and its transition toward integration with mainland China. Its financial success in the 1990s, with profits reaching HK$586 million in one year, showed its massive economic reach. Now, as a digital-first entity, it navigates the complexities of global news and regional politics. The tension between editorial independence and corporate ownership is a central theme in its modern era. This makes the SCMP a key subject for studying how information is shared in a changing world.