Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-03
JOURNALISM IN CHINA
SENSATIONAL PUBLICATIONS IN
THE ORIENTAL EMPIRE.

United States Consul Anderson at Annoy
has made report on journalism among
the Chinese. He points out difficulties due
to numerous dialects and predicts a growth
In China similar to that of the United States
in the past fifty or seventy-five years. In
his report Mr.. Anderson says:
1.-The status Of the newspaper business in
China at the present time Is interesting,
both from a business and a sociological
standpoint. AS might be expected from the
radical difference between the Chinese and
foreign languages there are two lines Of the
newspaper and publishing business, one
foreign, generally English, and the other
Chinese. 1t is rather surprising, in view of
the comparatively small population of for
eigners in China, how many large publfca-
lions there are in foreign languages. The
prices they obtain for their publications and
their work probably explains the situation.
Shanghai has five daily newspapers, three
morning and two evening papers; one is
French. 1T has six foreign weeklles, one
German 1t also has four Chinese dailies
and large number of Chinese weekles.
English and Chinese Papers.
practically all of the foreign papers sell
for AZ cents gold per copy. The subscrip-
ton price Is about s15 gold per annum,
postage extra The Chinese dailies sell for
about half a cent gold per copy. In addi-
ton to these publications. there are a large
number of religious papers, mostly in Chi
nese, published by the mission authorities
for the several missions, to be used in con-
nection with their work in several portions
of the empire. Some of these mission pub
ltcations have large circulatiors, and are
forming an important factor in the regen-
GRAFTON of the educational and social system
Of the nation.
I'm the south, Hongkong dominates the
publication business, and as 1t Is British
colony English publications might reason
ably be expected to lead, but on the face of
the record the Chinese predominant There
are four English daiies, the Post, the Press,
9th morning papers, and the Telegraph
and the Mail, both evening papers. There
are six Chinese daihes, and, as in the case
Of Shanghai, there are large number of
publications designed to fill various wants
in south China, Portuguese weekly and
In nearly every port of importance in China
there Is an English publication Of some sort.
Tientsin has good newspapers, considering
their support: Fuchau has publication
known as the Echo; Annoy one known as
the Shipping Gazette and other ports have
similar papers.
Equipment and Management.
THE publishing houses, as a rule. both
newspaper concerns and concerns for gen.
eral printing only. are fairly we'll equipped
for their work Some of them attempt work
in the line of high-grade magazine and
book publishing, and while 1t is not always
an unmixed success from a technical typo
graphical standpoint, 1t demonstrates that
the Chinese workmen, who do most of the
work under foreign supervision, will in
time acquire considerab BILE merit In this line
Of effort. Practically all of the establish
ments are equipped for more o. less print
ing In the Chinese language, and some of
the newspapers give a portion OF Their space
to q short review Of the days news In
Chinese. This work. of course, requires
special corps, but 1t also brings in srccial
returns, and probably Is advantage
rather than a drag-to :he business. Some
of the concerns have the latest modern ma
chinery, and 1t Is one Of the strangesr OK
periences in strange land Cor q tourist
to see a Chtnaman operating a Merger
thaler linotype in a Shanghai publishing
house. The newspapers. as a ,ule, lean to
British machinery wherever possible, and
as a result they are somewhat behind in
many modern appliances. The circulation
of the newspapers in Chinese ports docs rot
justify large and nigh speed printing ma
chinery
China at present seems to be passing
through much the same process with its
newspapers and other publications that
many parts of the United States have
passed through. All over The empira native
newspapers are being started in the cello
quial dialects, and are more or less local
IN character. The result is that many irre-
sponsible publications are issued, and the
means used by their projectors to keep
them alive have a striking similarity to
those employed by irresponsible parties at
various times and In many places N the
United States.
Sensational Publications.
Newspapers are established. run a short
course, and then drop out of sight. Black
mail and other evils afi1ict many commune
ties. Much of the anti-foreign agitation
which has caused SO much trouble in China
in the past few years Is to be traced to such
publications. In time some of these papers.
like some of their prototypes in other lands,
develop into paying properties and respon-
sible publications. 1t is unfortunate in
some respects that the publication of news
papers In the several local dialects has de-
veloped so generally. While such publica-
lions win afford means of educating the peo-
Pile OF the empire In some lines they also