Evening star., 1927-05-31
OLDEST NEWSPAPER
CLAIMED BY CHINA
Peking Gazette Enjoyed Mo-
nopoIy Up to Fourth Decade
of Last Century.

China boasts the Oldest newspaper
in the world, says an article on New
China and the Printed Page" in the
National Geographic Magazine for
June, 1927. From journalistic
standpoint, it is probably also the
worst, since the Peking Gazette is
nothing but collection of presidential
mandates, DEGREES of appointments
and lists of honors. Until the fourth
decade of the last century, China
knew no other paper. The court bull
letin, for such it was, held such a
monopoly of the field as the late Wis
count Northcliffe never attained in
England.
Then translations into Chinese from
the Hongkong foreign papers, made
at the suggestion of Wu Ting-fanE.
former Chinese Minister to the United
States, marked the beginnings OF what
is modern Chinese Journalism.
The first regular newspaper to be
established was probably the Shun
Pao, which is still published in Shang-
hal and is the most successful paper
in China. This journal was estah-
1ished in 1872, and was rapidly fol-
lowed by the IIu Pao. the Sin Wan
Pao. and other dailies, many of them
under foreign control.
Foreign Influences Felt.
The influence of newspapers pub
lfshed by foreigners must he acknowI-
edged in studying the reasons which
led to the founding of these Chinese
papers. In 1927 Mr.. James Matheson
began to issue the Canton Register.
and from this there has grown 4 body
of periodicals that includes daily news.
papers, weekly and monthly reviews.
commercial organs. humorous and H.
lustrated papers and magazines deal
ing with scholarly questions concern
ing the life of the country.
Many of these papers have been
edited by missionaries. who must be
regarded as forerunners of the new
Journalistic day in China. At present
the most influential are those pub
1shed in English, but there are other
papers printed in French, Russian,
japanese, Italian and Portuguese.
chinese journalism began it's career
In the port cities. particularly those
under foreign control. Consideration
OF the simple hut effective method by
which the Manchu dynasty censored
the efforts of any who might not
agree with it will suggest why this
was the case. The Chinese editor
might attack the imperialism which
placed the "grasping nations of the
West" in control of his country's rich
est ports, but he was generally care
full to launch his attacks from be-
meath the protection of those same
"usurpers."
Likened to Secret Societies.
For a long time this tended to give
Chinese Journalism a furtive char
acter-an influence not yet wholly
eradicated. The papers which sprang
IA 81
societies which flourished there,
weapons to attack the ruling powers
They did not hesitate to resort to
the use of outrageous innuendo and
even barefaced Justification, besmirch-
ing the personal character and official
record of those in authority. To this
day 1t is. for example. difficult to
winnow the facts concerning the
character of the late Empress Dow
ager from the fabrications of the rev.
olutionary editors of Shanghai and
southwestern China.
{, The justification for such tactics
is found in their success. The news
papers and pamphlets, through their
sustained scurrility, completely under
mined confidence IL the reigning
house-confidence which has been
waning for more than half century.
Since the Manchus had no concep-
ton of the uses of publicity, the rev.
olutionists welded that weapon
alone. And the constant reiteration
that the government was corrupt,
which was only too true, emphasized
by personal anecdotes, which We're
frequently untrue, finally achieved
the desired result.
In the language of American busi-
ness. the demand for change was
'sold' to the Chinese people.
Three events mark this develop
rnent in China's journalism. In 1898
the Emperor Kwang Hsu, under the
influence of the reformer Kan Yo-
wei. issued the edicts of reformation