Southern Weekly Has Been Cancelled [UPDATE]
We just received a tip, one person removed, from the public relations office at the Nanfang Media Group that Southern Weekly has been cancelled. No new content will be published on the website or under the name “Southern Weekly” (also known as Southern Weekend).
The Nanfang Group’s PR staff, which has been sequestered inside their office building for the past two days, has been notified via internal memo and are currently preparing for the next step.
Nanfang Media owns 12 newspapers, including Southern Weekly, eight periodicals and one publishing house.
We’ll update when we learn more. The website as it stands now:
UDPDATE, 5:04 pm: A representative at the Nanfang Media Group, reached via phone, says the paper has not been cancelled “as of this time.”
UPDATE, 1/9, 10:04 pm: SCMP is reporting that reporters say they struck a deal to return to work and continue publishing:
A source close to the newspaper’s editorial staff said that Hu Chunhua, a rising political star who took up his new position as the province’s party secretary only last month, personally stepped into the talks between reporters and the management.
The stand-off would not escalate while the negotiations were continuing, the source said.
Another two sources, also close to the newspaper’s editorial staff, said reporters decided to return to work after meetings with management yesterday.
terroir
Please, let’s have more pics of cute girls with “pump up” signs. I feel like the dam is about to break…
RhZ
And which dam is that?
Wait, I don’t want to know…
terroir
How do you like…dam apples(?)
Anyways, I get the feeling that Western press was way too excited about this story. This story is the build-up to “Diablo 3″ but if is kept languishing in development hell.
If you’re disappointed, you have only yourself and the massive hype to blame.
terroir
EDIT by “languishing” I mean of course “never released”.
Like any one of my “pull-offs”.
name
And you were the optimist one about Xi Jinping, eh?
Anthony Tao
Speculation is that Hu’s people are doing all they can to protect their legacy in these final two months, including making it hard for the new guys. The Chinese government isn’t as monolithic as the image they project.
That’s the ultimate optimist’s response, of course, but it also doesn’t completely come out of the blue. See Ian Johnson’s recent NYT piece: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/07/world/asia/chinese-newspaper-challenges-the-censors.html?_r=0
humidifier
Did you hear about this? http://shanghaiist.com/2013/01/09/beijing_news_publisher_resigns_afte.php
jack
Good story but I’m afraid this will just fade away. I predict the CPC will not back down – can you imagine them giving up the power to censor? Its a bit too much to expect.
terroir
You clearly don’t read enough propaganda.