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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| New York Times launches Chinese language website | New York Times launches Chinese language website |
| (about 6 hours later) | |
| The New York Times has launched a Chinese language version of its website in a bid to tap into the world's biggest internet market. | The New York Times has launched a Chinese language version of its website in a bid to tap into the world's biggest internet market. |
| The paper said the portal was targeted at "educated, affluent, global citizens" of China's growing middle class. | The paper said the portal was targeted at "educated, affluent, global citizens" of China's growing middle class. |
| The move comes despite concerns over China's strict control and censorship of online content. | The move comes despite concerns over China's strict control and censorship of online content. |
| However, the paper said that it would follow its journalistic standards. | However, the paper said that it would follow its journalistic standards. |
| "We're not tailoring it to the demands of the Chinese government, so we're not operating like a Chinese media company," Joseph Kahn, the paper's foreign editor was quoted as saying. | "We're not tailoring it to the demands of the Chinese government, so we're not operating like a Chinese media company," Joseph Kahn, the paper's foreign editor was quoted as saying. |
| "China operates a very vigorous firewall. We have no control over that. We hope and expect that Chinese officials will welcome what we're doing." | "China operates a very vigorous firewall. We have no control over that. We hope and expect that Chinese officials will welcome what we're doing." |
| Growing market | Growing market |
| China has more than 500 million internet users and that number is expected to grow further in the coming years. | China has more than 500 million internet users and that number is expected to grow further in the coming years. |
| As more and more people get access to the internet, companies have been keen to use the medium to reach out to potential consumers. | As more and more people get access to the internet, companies have been keen to use the medium to reach out to potential consumers. |
| As a result, online advertising revenues for internet firms have been rising. | As a result, online advertising revenues for internet firms have been rising. |
| Earlier this year Baidu, which is China's largest internet search engine, reported a jump in advertising revenue of more than 80% in 2011. | Earlier this year Baidu, which is China's largest internet search engine, reported a jump in advertising revenue of more than 80% in 2011. |
| The New York Times said it was hopeful that a specific Chinese language portal would help it tap into the lucrative market. | The New York Times said it was hopeful that a specific Chinese language portal would help it tap into the lucrative market. |
| The firm has already got international brands such as Cartier and Salvatore Ferragamo to sign up to advertise with it and said that it was confident of attracting other companies. | The firm has already got international brands such as Cartier and Salvatore Ferragamo to sign up to advertise with it and said that it was confident of attracting other companies. |
| "I believe there will also be an opportunity for corporate and financial advisers," said Denise Warren, chief general manager of nytimes.com. | "I believe there will also be an opportunity for corporate and financial advisers," said Denise Warren, chief general manager of nytimes.com. |
| "We believe we will be reaching a global, well-educated, international audience." | "We believe we will be reaching a global, well-educated, international audience." |
| Trouble brewing? | |
| However, the paper got an early indication of China's strict censorship of online content and its tight fisted control of social media, especially microblogging networks. | |
| According to the New York Times' Chinese language website, the paper has accounts with four of China's Twitter-like services, including the most popular one, Sina Weibo. | |
| But the paper's accounts seemed to have been suspended on at least three of these services within hours of the launch of its Chinese language portal. | |
| A click on a link to its Sina Weibo account on the paper's portal resulted in the following response from Sina Weibo: "Sorry, the account that you are looking for has gone wrong." | |
| Meanwhile, a similar effort on its Sohu Weibo link ended with this message: "The user has not activated his or her weibo as yet." | |
| Attempts to link to its account on 163.com were also unsuccessful. | |
| Only its account with Tencent Weibo was working properly. |