07/04/2016

The New Website That Has China Buzzing | Foreign Policy

TheNewWebsiteThatHasChinaBuzzing
"Pengpai" has tens of millions of dollars in funding, and everyone in journalism is
talking about it. But no one seems pleased.
BY ALEXA OLESEN

JULY 23, 2014

ThechiefexecutiveocerofThePaper,aslicknewstate-fundedChinesemediasiteatthepaper.cn,
launchedhisventureinamostunusualfashion:withanostalgicconfessionalaboutadrunkennight
duringhissenioryearincollegein1990.QiuBingdescribedayoungcouplewhomhehadbeenfriends
withwhileanundergraduate,andhowtheylefteachotherlovenotesinbottlesandstashedthemina
campuspond.Itwasatimebeforeegoismandconsumerismhadtakenholdofhiscountry,waxedQiu.
Theemotionsofthaterawere"surging"upinhimagain,hesaid,usingthewordpengpai,alsothe
Chinesenameofthenewwebsite.Itwasarivetingreadandamasterstrokeinmarketing.Buoyedin
partbytheessay,thesitescleanlook,andtheventuresrumoredbigbudget,theformallaunchofThe

PaperanditsiPhoneandAndroidappsonJuly22triggeredahugebuzzonsocialmediaandamong
journalists."Ivebeenwaitingforthisalongtime,"wroteonereaderinthecommentssectionbelow
Qiuspiece.

Muchofthediscussionsurroundingthenewventurehasinvolvedtryingtoclassifythebeast,ahybrid
withacleannew-mediastyleglossbut,someargue,aconservativeandself-censoringcore.Wen
Yunchao,abloggerandfree-speechadvocatebasedinNewYork,toldForeignPolicythatalthoughThe

Paperresembles"theHungtonPostorHongKongmediaonthesurface,"itsessenceis"notmuch
dierentfromothermediainChina."Wensaidthattheoutlettoutsitselfasnewmediabutits
"denitionofnewisonlyincomparisontotherigidfaceoftraditionalpartymedia,"meaningmedia
directlycontrolledbytherulingCommunistParty.

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Otherobserversweremoregenerousintheirassessments.TheGlobalTimeswhich,itsworth
noting,isitselfapartymouthpiececalledThePapera"trailblazer."FinancialTimescolumnistand
new-mediaentrepreneurXuDaneiwroteonJuly23onmicrobloggingplatformWeibothatthe
appearanceofThePapermarkedthebiggestChinesemediasplashsinceuber-inuentialmuckraking
journalistHuShulikickedoCaixin,hersecondbignancialnewsmagazine,backinJanuary2010.
XusaidThePapersinitialinvestmentfromstate-runShanghaiUnitedMediaGrouphadrstbeen
reportedintheballparkof$16million;thatestimatedoubledto$32millioninaFebruarynewsreport
byBeijing-basednancialmagazineCaijingreporterLuoChangping.Currentlyswirlingestimatesnow
standat$64million,Xuwrotewithoutcitingsources.XutoldFPviamobilediscussionplatform
WeChatthatThePaperseemedtobetryingtocompetewithCaixinformarketshare,thoughhesaid
theformerseemedtohaveabroaderscopeofcoverageandlookedsettooutpaceCaixinintermsof
volume,sinceThePaperupdatesdailyandCaixinpublishesaweeklyandabiweeklymagazine.

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ThePaperhaslikelybeenonthesavvyHusradarforsometime;itisanoshootofthewell-known
OrientalMorningPostinShanghai,astate-runpaperknownforbreakingtheexplosiveSeptember
2008newsthatChinesedairycompanySanluwasoneofthecompaniesbehindataintedmilkscandal
thatwouldeventuallykillsixbabiesandsickenhundredsofthousands.ButthePostsreputation
hasntbeenentirelyheroic.Thejournalistwhobrokethatstory,JianGuangzhou,dramaticallyquitin
October2012,sayinghisidealshadbeencrushedbyhistimeonthejob.Jianlaterfamouslytold
California-basedMcClatchynewsservicethatworkinginjournalisminChinawaslike"dancingin
shackles."(Accordingtoawebsearch,Jiannowworksasafreelancer.)*

ThePaperdoesntappeartosignaltheimminentbreakingoftheseshackles.Butitdoeslooklikea
newssitetryingtondthesweetspotwherepublicservicejournalismconvergeswithpartyobjectives.
SincetakingoverasChinastopleaderinNovember2012,XiJinpinghaspushedanaggressiveanticorruptioncampaignandalsourgedamoreforthrightlinefromthegovernment,railingagainstwhat
hecalls"emptytalk"andimpenetrablejargonfromlong-windedocials.Xisinitiativesseemtooer
anopeningforamediaoutletproducingplainspokenreportageaboutcorruptionandabuseofpower.

ThePaperappearedtobetestingthatpropositionwithadaringexposeabouthealthproblemsata
mercurymineinthepoormountainousGuizhouprovince.Anotherlookedatexcessivespendingona
constructionprojectinpoverty-strickenLaifengcountyincentralHubeiprovince.Atleasttwopieces
onallegedmiscarriagesofjusticehavepromptedlightning-fastpublicresponses(inlessthan10hours)
fromthecourtsinvolved,oneinAnhuiprovinceandanotherinGuangxiprovince.Thestories
promptedonereadertoaskinthecommentsection:"Whichcourtwillbegettingyourmemo
tomorrow?"
Recentaccomplishmentsaside,ThePaperisaventurethatsofarintriguesmanywhilesatisfyingfew.
Forleftist(read:conservative)commentatorZhangHongliang,thesiteistooliberal.HewroteinaJuly
21piecefortheconservativeRevivalWebthatThePaperwasmeanttobepartofeortstorestore
ideologyinChinabutthattheprojectsofarwas"awasteofmoney."Meanwhile,ShanghaiJiaotong
UniversitydesignprofessorWeiWuhuiasked,"Wherestheinnovation?"inaJuly23articleaboutThe

Paper.Hesaidthattheeditorsfaceanuphillbattleiftheyreallywanttoembracea"newmedia"model
becausethatwouldrequireuser-generatedcontent,somethingthatisextremelyhardtopolice.

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Otherssawthesiteasoldwineinanewbottle.JeremyGoldkorn,founderanddirectorofDanwei,a
Beijing-basedresearchandmediaservicesbusiness,toldFPviaemailthatalthoughThePapermight
have"aashynewwebsiteandnewmediasavvy,"itdoesntlookpoisedtorevolutionizetheChinese
mediaenvironment.HepointedtotherecentvisittoThePaperheadquartersbyLuWei,thechairman
ofthegovernmentsStateInternetInformationOce,whichoverseesChinasextensiveweb
censorship.ThevisitandThePapersprominentcoveragethereof,completewithonlinephotos,
indicatedtoGoldkornthatThePaperwas"notgoingtobespeakingtruthtopoweranytimesoon,even
iftheydomasterthedarkartsofclick-baitandlisticles."
Andyet,perhapsQiusnostalgiaismorethanposturing.AnanalysisofhisessaybyWeiYingjie,a
columnistforCaijing,saidsomehavereadthepieceasespousingidealism,othersasembracing
realism.ButWeioeredathirdreading,complexbutperhapsmoreintriguing:Maybethenarratorisa
"pragmatistholdingontoidealsinaworldofrealities."

Correction,July23,2014:The2008tainted-milkscandalinChinakilledsixbabiesandsickened
hundredsofthousands.Anearlierversionofthisarticleincorrectlystatedthatthescandalkilled
dozensofbabiesandsickenedtensofthousands.(Returntoreading.)

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ChinasStinkyMeat-Gate
A recent muckraking report is a black eye for McDonald's and KFC, but also for the
country's regulators.

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BY RACHEL LU

The New Website That Has China Buzzing | Foreign Policy

JULY 22, 2014

RACHEL.LU

@RACHEL_TLN

"Thisbeefisturninggreen,"oneworkersaidtoahiddencamera."Itstinks,"anotherchimedin.The
frozenmeatinquestionhadexpiredmorethansevenmonthsagobyNovember2013,whenthe
exchangetookplace.Butthebatchwasre-cutandrepackagedanyway,thenstampedwithanew
expirationdate:June2015.Thisconversationstandsamongthedamningevidenceunearthedbya
reporterforDragonTV,aShanghai-basedtelevisionstation,whileundercoverattheShanghai
subsidiaryofIllinois-basedOSI,alongtimeglobalsupplierofmajorinternationalfastfoodrestaurant
chainsthatincludeMcDonaldsandKFC.(OSIhassuppliedMcDonaldsinChinasince1992andYum!
Brands,theparentcompanythatownsKFC,since2008.)

TheensuingscandalhasquicklyengulfedtheChinaoperationsofMcDonaldsandKFC,twopopular
restaurantchainswithover2,000and4,400locationsinthecountry,respectively.Severalstatemedia
outletshavepouncedonwhattheynowrefertoastheyangkuaicanor"foreignfastfood"issue,
withstateagencyXinhuadevotingaspecialsectiontowhatitcalls"StinkyMeat-Gate."Anarticlein
nationaliststate-runoutletGlobalTimesquotedanonlinesurveyfromanunspeciedwebsite,
claimingthat68percentofrespondentswould"nevereat"McDonalds,KFC,orSubwayagain.
NationalisticbloggerSongZudeevenexhorted"allChinesepeopletobandtogetherandsaynoto
foreigntrashfood."ButSongscallisprobablygoingtogounanswered;incontrasttostatemedias
verypublichand-wringing,manyChineseconsumershaveseemedrelativelyunfazed.
That,atleast,isthetakeawayintheimmediateaftermathofthenews.Reportersforstate-runChina
NewsServicefoundtheBeijingoutletsofMcDonaldsandKFCstillcrowdedthedayafterthereport
broke.AmanwiththesurnameLeitoldonereporterthatheactuallyfelt"moresecureaboutfood
qualityatMcDonalds,nowthatitisinthemiddleofapublicitystorm."Similarly,areportbyHenan
RadioinZhengzhou,acityof8millionincentralHenanprovince,foundthatbusinessatlocal
McDonaldsandKFCrestaurantswas"hopping"withlonglinesandfewseats.OneMcDonaldspatron
admittedthatshesawthenewsaboutthefoodscandalbutwas"alreadydesensitizedtothissortof
thing."

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ThesadrealityisthatChineseconsumersnditdiculttotrustanyfoodestablishment,whichgives
foreignownershipcontinuingcredibilitywhenitcomestoqualitycontrol,scandalorno.MaXian,a
realestateinvestor,wroteonWeibo,Chinasmajormicro-bloggingplatform,"IcantboycottUncle
McDonaldsorKFC,becausethefoodisalsounsafeatotherrestaurants,orevenlesssafe."Tong
Guangcan,alawyerbasedineasternJiangsuprovince,agreed:"McDonaldsandKFCarestillmuch
betterthanthetinyfoodstallsonthestreetthatusegutteroil,"usedcookingoilthatissoldorpassed
oasnew.
Chinesecitizensareshocked,ofcourse,bythereportsndings,buthavedirectedahealthydollopof
theirireatstateregulators.Inrecentmonths,authoritieshavepledged"stringentsupervision"offood
safetyandconsideredrevisingthecountrysfoodsafetylaws.Butobserversfeelthelatestscandal
beliesthoseassurances.Inresponsetostate-runbroadcasterChinaCentralTVsJuly20Weibopost
aboutthescandalthemostpopularcommentread,"Thisyear,wehavereliedentirelyonthemediato
revealproblemsofquality.Theregulatoryagencymightaswelljustclose."Anothercommenterwrote,
"YoucantjustputresponsibilityforweakgovernmentregulatingonMcDonaldsandKFC."Eventhe

GlobalTimes,inaJuly22English-languageop-edclaimingthatforeignfastfoodchainsinChinaneed
a"newattitude,"acknowledgedtheconcernsaboutChinasregulatorysystem,concedingthat"quality
oversightauthoritiesareweak."Sensitivetothisbacklash,statemediahavebeencarefultohighlight
thespeedwithwhichgovernmentregulatorshaveactedinresponsetothereport.
McDonaldsandYum!haveapologizedtoconsumers,butthatdidnotstopthermssharepricesfrom
tumbling.Foritspart,OSIChinareleasedanapologystatingthatmanagementis"appalled"bythe
reportandbelievesittobean"isolatedincident."Butawhistleblowerfromitsqualitycontrol
departmentproducedtwonotebookswithdetailsoneach"expirationdateextension,"witha
managerssignaturenexttoeachentry.

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TheChinaoperationsofMcDonaldsandKFCarelikelytoshowsomescarsfromtherecentnews;
Yum!ssalesinChinareportedlydropped40percentaftera2012reportthatallegedthatitschickens
werepumpedfullofantibiotics,andarestillrecovering.Buttheyarealsoalmostcertaintosurvive.
Notonlyistheblamebeingspreadfarandwide,butthesefastfoodchainsoersomethingelseto
Chinesedinersbesidesfood.AsoneWeibouserwrote,"Nomatterwhat,thebathroomsatMcDonalds
andKFCaredenitelyapublicutility,"adding,"Wecantlivewithoutthem!"AslongasChinese
consumersremaineagertogetinthedoor,thechainsbossescanprobablyresteasy.

BethanyAllen-Ebrahimiancontributedwritingandresearch.

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