China Youth Daily

China Youth Daily
Type Daily newspaper
Format Broadsheet
Owner(s) Communist Youth League of China
Founded 1951
Language Chinese
Headquarters Beijing,  China
Website www.cyol.net

The China Youth Daily (simplified Chinese: 中国青年报; traditional Chinese: 中國青年報; pinyin: Zhōngguó Qīngnián Bào) (中青报 for short) is the official newspaper of Communist Youth League of China (CYL) (共青团), and is a popular official daily newspaper and the first independently operated central government news media portal in the People's Republic of China.

In the 1980s, it was regarded as the best newspaper in mainland China with a circulation of 5 millions a day. Its present circulation is estimated to be nearly one million in 40 countries and regions.[1]

It has been operated by the Communist Youth League since 1951. As of October 2006, the Party leader is Mr Wang Hong You; Publisher is Xu Wenxin; the current Editor-in-Chief is Chen Xiaochuan (陈小川). He replaces outgoing editor Li Erliang (李而亮).

Background

The China Youth Daily was established in 1951, six years before the Chinese Socialist Youth League decided to change its name to Communist Youth League of China (CYL).

As the mission of CYL, at the present stage, is to unite and lead the young people in the country, hoping to transfuse new blood into the CPC, and recruit young personnel for the political party. China Youth Daily also tries to bring news, ideas, and information into nationwide circulation, following the CYL principles. Thus, China Youth Daily has helped the CPC, enabling them to project their voice to a wider public in China. In another perspective, the newspaper's content is, to some extent, regulated by the CPC.

Although China youth Daily is run by the CYL, it is also the first for profit newspaper in China. The profit enables the paper to support itself, and the paper welcomes individuals as well as companies to advertise in the paper.

Freezing Point (冰点 pinyin: Bing diǎn), a four-page weekly supplement of China Youth Daily was temporarily shut down by the Chinese government in early 2006,[2] due to an anti-censorship letter posted by columnist Li Datong. According to the Washington Post, government censors accused the section of "'viciously attacking the socialist system' and condemned a recent article in it that criticized the history textbooks used in Chinese middle schools."[3] Pressure from retired high-level party officials and senior scholars forced the government to allow publication again, but without its former editor and top investigative reporter, according to the New York Times.[4]

Management

The administrative structure of the China Youth Daily is divided into two parts. The top of the hierarchy includes the president and the chief editor. Below them are the vice president, the vice chief editor, and the secretary. But like all other papers with a CPC background, China Youth Daily is ultimately directed by the Propaganda Department of the CPC. Although this does not mean that the Propaganda Department often influences the direction and the content of the paper, it is authorized and has the right to do so.

Apart from the central hierarchy, there are six other departments which help the daily running of the paper. They include the office, editorial board, management department, business developmental department, human resources department, and the party office. Under the editorial board, management department and business developmental department, many branches handle the daily work.

Most of the employees, including journalists working for the paper, are members of the Communist Party, graduated from improtant Chinese universities.

Editorial stance

The editor has said that "they must stand in the same stance with the State" on the issue of internal migration in China.[5]

Marketing

The paper has a circulation of nearly 1,000,000 copies a day. As it is an integrated nationwide newspaper which targets the young generation in China, it covers political, social, and economic news which particularly concerns both the youth of the country and the CPC.

The China Youth Daily has the goal of attracting a primary readership among professionals between the age of 21 to 48. To maintain its goal, the paper has established an online version in 2000, the China Youth Online (CYOL).

During approximately 3 years of existence, CYOL has generated 31 different channels to increase diversity to different users. Both the China Youth Daily and CYOL are now offering more than the hardcore political ideas, social, and economic news; the website now includes news for public examinations, overseas study opportunities, career planning, fashion, entertainment, etc.

As it is the first for-profit governmental newspaper in China, it welcomes advertisements from individuals, local and foreign companies.

Readership

According to research conducted by China Youth Daily and CYOL, most readers of the newspaper and online users are between the ages of 18 to 48. The majority of readers are of the age of 19-25 (50%) and 26-35 (32%). Around 75% of the readers are male and only around 25% of them are female. Most readers attain a tertiary education background and more than 60% of them have an income of 1000RMB or less.

Although the paper is circulated nationwide, it gains more popularity in the east (31%), the central part (18%) and the north (16%) comparatively to the other regions of China.

According to the Asia Leadership Fellow Program,[5] "China Youth Daily (CYD) is one of the most influential newspapers in contemporary China with a circulation of 800,000 (readership, which is much more, is not officially recorded). A market research report by China Statistical Bureau ranks CYD in third place on the reading rate among the national daily papers."

Websites

The Chinese version of China Youth Daily Online has been established since 2000. As mentioned before, websites are established for different reasons and needs; for example, to attract and maintain readership and to make it more accessible to foreign users.

China Youth Online

China Youth Online is China's first independently operated central government news media website which has started its operation since 15 February 2000. The portal is targeted towards the youth community in Mainland China. It offers the online version of China Youth Daily and distributes content, souvenirs, books, and magazines published by China Youth Daily. Like China Youth Daily, CYOL basically channels for education, people, military, networks, life, and service information.

During early 2004, China Youth Daily together with CYOL have a daily circulation of 2 million in China, CYOL has successfully created new readership and profit since its establishment.

Subsidiary Newspapers and Magazines

A number of newspapers and magazines are produced under the leadership of China Youth Daily. These subsidiary newspapers and magazines are designed to suit the taste of special readers and provide topical and targeted news.

Elite Reference

A weekly newspaper, set up in 1984, which focuses on international news.

The former editors-in-chief were:

Sports Youth Weekly

Sports Youth Weekly was first published in March 2000. In 2006, it shut down due to poor profits. The chief editor was Bi Xidong (華熙东), who is an experienced sports reporter and soccer critic. It was distributed on Mondays, via retail outlets and subscription.

Youth Times

Youth Times is a leisure weekly that focused on city youth entertainment. "Entertainment is a power in the new century" is the slogan of the Youth Times. Topics include visual and international news, creativity, sales, health, travel, fashion, studying abroad, tastes, and home. It is distributed on Thursdays.

Other Related Issues

See also

References

Source: Pinyin translated with Cozy Website

  1. ↑ "A brief introduction to China Youth Daily," China Youth Online
  2. ↑ Geremie R. Barme and Jeremy Goldkorn (2013). China Story Yearbook 2013. Canberra, Australia: Australian National University College of Asia and the Pacific. p. 459. ISBN 978-0-9873655-3-8.
  3. ↑ Leading Publication Shut Down In China
  4. ↑ Chinese Journal Closed by Censors Is to Reopen
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Media summary- China,"

External links