COMMUNIST NEWSPAPERS HAVE FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000600360582-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 22, 2011
• Sequence Number: 582
• Publication Date: November 30, 1950
• Content Type: REPORT

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/07/22 :CIA-RDP80-00809A000600360582-6
CENTRAL INTELLI~~NCE~'AG~N~Y.~
CLASSIFICATION
INFORMATION FROM
FOREIGN DOCUMENTS OR RADIO BROADCASTS
COUNTRY China
SUBJECT Sociological -Press
HOW
PUBLISHED Daily newspaper
WHERE
PUBL1SHED Hong Kong
DATE
PUBLISHED 1 Nov 1950
LANGUAGE Chinese
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REPOR
CD N0.
DATE OF
INFORMATION 1950
DATE DIST.A3oNov 1950
N0, OF PAGES 1
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT N0.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION r.,~;?.
COMMUNIST NEWSPAPERS HAVE FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES
Taihoku, 31 October (UP indicated) -- A report from Shanghai states that
Shanghai Communist newspapers are falling into financial difficulties and ex-
periencing amarked decrease in circulation. Of the six papers, the Hsin-wen
Jih-pao has .receipts that balance its expenditures, but the party mouthpiece,
Chieh-fang Jih-pao, is operating at a great loss. The Shanghai offices of the
Ta Kuna Pao and t:.ie Wen-hui Pao are abjectly inquiring if their Hong Kong of-
fices can offer employment to those who are about to be laid off. Having re-
ceived unfavorable responses, the Shanghai offices have no choice but to dis-
charge one third of their employees, and yet the accountants still foresee
srsioue financial difficulties ahead.
This less of rev.-nue, readers, and reputation is due to the fact that
they only print news that~is officially issued, dry documentary material, and
accouata of occurrences of no interest. Shanghai people say they have no news-
PaPers, only "viewpapers" which express official views. Another reason for the
steady decline in number of readers of the Communist papers is because Shanghai
is the only place on the China mainland where short-wave radio reception is not
prohibiter. A large portion of Shanghai residents listen in the morning or at
night to fresh radio news from foreign sources or from the National government's
broadcasting station on Taiwan.
According to latest estimates, the Hsin-sheng Jih-pao presumably pro-Com-
munist, since its publication is permitted ,the largest selling daily in Shang-
hai~hes a circulation.of 120,000, while the Chieh-fang Jih-pao has a circulation
of 80,000 only because it is required reading for government workers, social
agencies, schools, and. colleges. As for the Ta Kung Pao, Wen-hui Pao Hsin-min
Pao, and the English-language.ST_~anghai Daily, they have as aggregate circulation
of only 80,000.
The scarcity of newsprint is another reaspa for the newspapers' financial
difficulties. It is estimated that present supplies of newsprint are sufficient
for only 4 months longer. The British paper North China Daily Newa is still being
published, but t'ioae who have inside knowledge say it is being run at a loss.
D-I~STRIBUTION -T
I I I'
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/07/22 :CIA-RDP80-00809A000600360582-6