Weekly Magazine’s Death

Far Eastern Economic Review (FEER), the leading Asian business and financial newsweekly, will change to monthly magazine in December resulted with the loss of eighty jobs, while real-time media, like Bloomberg News, another financial news provider, is aggressively recruiting people in the same continent.

Dow Jones & Company, who owns FEER, Wall Street Journal and the other vital business and financial news media in the world, today announced that FEER will change its format from a newsweekly to a monthly with the issues and ideas largely written by Asian opinion leaders from the fields of politics, business and academics in December.

Dow Jones Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Peter R. Kann, explained that nearly all other advertising-dependent newsweeklies based in Asia already have succumbed to competition from more immediate media alternatives, and that as a weekly, the Review had lost money for the past six years.

Two weeks before, Dow Jones released the report of Revenue and Profit for Third Quarter 2004. Print Publishing revenue declined $4.0 million, or 1.9%, in the third quarter of 2004 versus the same period a year ago. The detailed number for the loss of FEER is not mentioned.

As a result of format changing, eighty jobs will be reduced, representing about 10% of the company’s total Asia-based employees. After work force reductions, the company will record a restructuring charge, recorded as a special item, of approximately $3 million, or two cents per share, in the fourth quarter of 2004.

On the other hand, Bloomberg News, an electronic newspaper as “Tomorrow’s front page”, has been organizing Recruitment Event in Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo from October to December. Bruce Grant, Bureau Chief for HK/China operations of Bloomberg, said “We welcome journalists”.

Mr Grant gave a seminar to the journalism students from all top universities of Hong Kong in Oct. 25. He talked about the character of Bloomberg News- “Five Fs”, one of which is “Fastest word”. Users can access to the latest news of Bloomberg 24 hours a day, without waiting for tomorrow’s newspaper, or magazine of next week.

Conceived as an electronic newspaper with main focus on business and financial news and information, Bloomberg News, has more than 1,600 journalists and editors reporting from 94 bureaus. Profit is unknown as the company not listed.

Though Mr. Kann in Daw Jones didn’t mention what the “more immediate media” refers to, “Fastest” Bloomberg should be one of them. Especially in business and financial field, Mr. Grant in Bloomberg said, people want to see the latest news without the limit of news publishing. Businessman can make decisions quickly to earn money or reduce loss.

With 23-year short history, Bloomberg has become the main provider for business and financial news in the world. “Quality and reliability” of the news and information are their main advantages, according to Mr. Grant.

Compared with Bloomberg, FEER is not that “advantageous”. Though set up in 1946, it has to change the format and reduce the staffs to “modestly accretive to full-year 2005 earnings per share” of Dow Jones & Company. Before FEER, AsiaWeek, another leading Asian magazine, ceased publication in Dec, 2001 due to the “financial” problem. Coincidentally, the same number of eighty jobs was eliminated.

AsiaWeek and FEER was said to be the only “two big regional newsweekly” in English.

Mr. Grant is right that most people prefer to see the “fastest” news rather than the weekly ones. But “fastest” will bring big problems to the quality of the news.

When Mr. Grant showed how to use Bloomberg’s news database, Gene Mustain, the journalism professor in the University of Hong Kong, have found many headlines including “may” or “may be”. He said it reduced the “accuracy” of the news and made people confusing.

President of the Foreign Correspondent Club, Matthew C. Driskill mentioned another problem when talking with the journalism students in the University of Hong Kong. International Herald Tribune (IHT), the newspaper where he is working, has collaborated with Bloomberg in one of IHT’s columns- “Business Asia”. He said he had found many stories from Bloomberg are in the “templates”, which means that the news is in fixed format. He said it is ok for general news, but not for certain stories. “Templates” will betray reader’s trust on the newspaper.

Some students said that it could be the trends for the news writing, but Mr. Driskill denied, “If that is the future, I will go to else where to work”.

FEER's change means what?

FEER( Far Eastern Economic Review), set up in 1946, will change from weekly to monthly in this December. And most important, it will change from the "more-academic" style magazine to the home of "Asia's thought-leaders of every ideological stripe", and "will emphasize politics as Asian nations take their rightful place on the world stage".

I was stuffed when first heard the news. Someone inside FEER told me that it is "a sad day for Asian Journalism". I know what it means. But all I don't know is what it will mean.

Oil price not just affected Hong Kong

If you say that Hong Kong's economy is easy to be affected by global oil price, so China is following up(sorry, the link is in Chinese). Car owners, taxi drivers and even airplane company are now worrying about the oil price. The so-called "oil-quota" ("oil-ticket") are already sold-up, or in other words, forbidden to sold now. Taxi drivers are shortening their work hours in the night. Airplane company are now applying for growing up prices.(They should bear the oil price for they have earned so much)
Global events begin to affect China in an aggressive way. Nobody can say it is dangerous or not. I hope Chinese can now prepare for it. Economy sensitive should be leaded by information-sensitive. There is still a long way to go.

Leave something when you die

flaming even
Originally uploaded by fubuki.

We can't expect the time when we die; but should we prepare? A korea website said "yes". You can leave words there, in order to send them to the people related. You can also leave will there. People will remember you via your words or they will no be hurt.
But there are two questions:
(1) One way there is to require you to reply once per month to confirm you are alive. Isn't it weird? If you have a holiday where you will no go Internet and you forget to tell the website, then they will consider you are dead. Wow, terrible.
(2) How they will confirm the validaty of the words? Especially to the will. Is the one stored in the website having same legal power with the one stored in your lawyer? If there are some difference, what will happen?
Anyway, it should be interesting to try, as we still have so many words to say after we die.

Mobile phone is dangerous? pay attention, they just mention "Analogue"

Swedish researchers found that 10 or more years of mobile phone use increase the risk in brain tumor and it was confined to the side of the head where the phone was usually held.

People are nervous after reading the news, which was widely reported in the world. CNN's is the best, I believe. But should we give up phones? no, of course not.

First, the researchers are just mentioning Analogue phones. Now most phones we use is digital ones. The two kind of phone are using different kind of methods to transmit the signals, according to CNN. (I am surprised to find that some newspaper didn't mentioned this point at all; really embarassed for that reporter)

Second, they are saying that less than 10 year's usage will be less dangerous and they are still working out.

So I would like to suggest people not to put the phone near the head directly. Instead, using hands-free or microphone will be better.

China Netcom will continue the success of China Power International?

China Netcom will go IPO in November.
China Power International's shares shot up 18 percent after IPO.
They are both State-owned companies in China, so obervers enquiried if there is chance for China Netcom to enjoy the same "hot" as China Power. It remains to see, but the situation is that energy is a more important word currently.

A tiny Koala named "Koori"

I like Koala, not because it is one of my nick name. The animal is borned with natural happiness. I like that style: No competition, no sadness, just stay on the tree eating its favorite. Anyway, see Koori, my little brother.

If blogs become the "customer care" of telecom operators?

Blog and the customer care? no relation, isn't it? It should be, but in fact, there is relation. Look at Malaysia case, where jeff ooi become the "cutomer care"

The first sad moment in Hong Kong

Hong Kong is really an exciting place; however, I have been sad these days,"no-name sadness" in Chinese.
It began in this Monday where I finished that long, long meeting. I tired up all my strength for preparing it. Then I collapsed. I slept more than usual, I ate more than usual, but neither of them solve the problem. I got into a disease which I can't cure myself. So I did everything orginally came to my mind, which is not my usual way. The sadness remains.
I couldn't get to asleep yesterday. It is the first time. I thought a lot about my study, my family, and a lot of other things. I can't work out any of them. Then I wake up at 6am, 7am, 8am, and finally get out of the bed at 9am. I am confusing by my dream and my real life. I can't tell which one is true and which one I prefer.
I know I will finally get over it, but I don't know how. I lost everything.

Google is still creative

Today we talked about if Google's crazy share price is a "bubble" in our class of "Business and Financial Journalism". In fact, I would like to say it should not be.

Google opened his another new service, called Google print, for the users to search the book online. It would touch off an important shift in the balance of power between companies that produce books and those that sell them.

Google is still creative, isn't it?

Mozilla Firefox, you still have a long way

Many websites can't support the Mozilla Firefox, due to the IE's monoply of Internet Browser. I have found some, and would like to find more.

http://www.iht.com/emailalerts/emailalerts.php(you can't see the country correctly configuring)
http://mail.etang.com

Should the website be responosible for the fault? Or the Mozilla has to do its own thing?

Memorial of my grandfather

Grandpa, I am in Hong kong now, studying in journalism. Hope you are living well in another world, enjoying your favorite chess and meat.
I regret that I couldn't get back to see you at your last day. I regret that I haven't been home as often as I can. I regret that I didn't stay in home to accompany with you that Festival. I regret that I haven't talked to you often when you could talk. I regret that I don't listen to your words in that dream. I regret that I quarreled with grandma that day. I regret that I didn't "send" more meat to you. I regret I didn't do anything more when you are still there.
I remember we always play chess, I remember you teach me how to play that traditional Chinese game, I remember you take me to the grocery store and pay every food I ate me though the store is owened by you. You know, I have been to a watch store that day, and it reminds of the watch you give me. I always remember your face, which is serious. You are serious at your work, your family, but you loved me, the only granddaughter. But I can't even see you at your last day.
I am living well now, but I can't help thinking you. I know you must be looking at me in another world. Believe me, I will be responsible for everything I did, I am doing and I will do. I miss you!

A Burma writer met in Hong Kong

We have a new classmate called Soe. He was from Burma and almost 50 years old. He came here as a visiting student. He said he was a writer.
We are both always working at the lab. So we have more chance to talk. He is really good at chatting. Different from many Asian guys, he likes to share his life with others. "I want to go to everywhere in my life", he said about his dream. Having translated many books from Burmese, he has covered so many fields, such as Philosopy and tradiontal medicine. But he never published his own work in Burmese,."Political censorship" is the main reason, he said.
I was just wondering if political censorship will affect his own feeling to the government. His feeling was out of my imagination. " I hate my government, they squeeze all things from the Burma people". Then he opened his life. He was once a political criminal charged by "Illegal political doings" and "Illegal publishing". He provided his house for the students and anti-goverment to hold meetings, and he kept hundreds of books, not censored by government, in his bookshelves. He said, " I put all the book on the bookshelf, and government easily found them". So he stayed in prison for four years, which he called "a big experience, though may not be good".
He knows the Chinese writer-Lu Xun, and he admires the previous leader-Deng xiaoping in China. "I like China and Chinese leaders changed their policy so much to develop the economics". he said. It is the best words I have heard today, myNational day. "But currently, 99% of people in our country are living below poverty line, and we do have millionaires who earn millions of dollars." He expects some political leaders will change their policy to develop the country. " We once own the biggest airport in South Asia, and we were rich at that time when British colonies governed us. But now it have changed so much".
Burma is one of the countries I am not familiar with. The only thing I know is that many Chinese people in Yunnan province send their children to Burma, for it is free of tuition. This Burma guy brings me so much knowledge of the country. "I want to be a journalist who can cover Burma news in the world". His first step may be telling the news to me. Obviously, he has succeeded.
Opening eyes this morning, I was just wondering if it was worth 100 thousands of dollars to study here. Now I believe firmly that it was worth. So many interesting and amazing people to meet, the kind of life I am going after.

A journalist should learn to love writing again and again

Yesterday is an easy day until I read an article on the newspaper. A Russian girl majored in journalism published a book, about her online diary about herself and her friends. BTW, she is just an undergraduate. That's the magic of the Internet. It can make people famours in one day. But may not be just magic.

Many professionals said that journaslism school are really nonsense and just a waste of time. The fact is that I found the truth after I attended this famous school and paid the most expensive tuition here. I have to learn because I have paid for it? No, it is not my style. I have experienced a sharp shift from my previous career. I said to myself that day: I love this career, and I am sure I can survive here with my wisdom. Now, I am here, and surviving, though not the kind of elegance as I thought before. I know I am that kind.

Today is the National day. Best wishes for my nation, my beloved nation.