And so it has. Take China coverage. While the total pages devoted to writing about the mainland have increased, much of the space is filled by lurid tales of crime, accidents, fires or the lives of celebrities. Economic and political news often comes directly from official sources, like Xinhua. Taiwan news now appears on pages devoted to China.
Editors are risk-averse.
One reporter recalls editors objecting to a scoop on the ground that it might anger Beijing. The reporter, who asked not to be named, had an impromptu interview with China's minister of agriculture, in which he discussed China's grain supply. Editors worried that grain supply might be a state secret. Ming Pao printed the article, but only after the reporter confirmed that the minister hadn't revealed classified information, the reporter says. Such concerns don't prevent Ming Pao from breaking important news from time to time.