Media_so many things happen in a week

I didn't write in the last two weeks because many things happen. My big boss left last last week, before he fired the second-big and third-big boss; then my boss, covering business desk, left this Friday. Suddenly, everything changed since the beginning of February.

I don't want to comment on that coz it is a bit of sensitive right now. Besides all the politics, I still think it is the common problem for newspapers; without an effective business model, everything will go down.

Newpaper once covered everything, including analysis, PR work, consulting, rumors as well as critics. Now analysis and consulting go to the consulting firms and specific organization; PRs set up their own company; rumor always with Internet; only critics remains with the newpaper, though, in some extent, advertisers don't feel good about it.

The only way to solve this is to review the resources and recover those original services to the readers; or give readers a free newspaper just like Internet does.

From the journalism course I learned, a mature News theory has been mature in 100 years since started; but Internet rebroke everything, so in other words, it is now changing to another grow-up where old theories may not work.

For example, we say fairness in a story; but look at Internet, you could easily find something totally in diffrent side at the same time, though they may be covered in two or more stories.

So what's is the value of journalism? We already go back to the old period where informations are all everywhere. Google has become a reporter which could be used as a tool to check, or "write" everything on the Internet.

It is easy to be a reporter now, but not easy to be a Google.

Media_Always helpful Google

Google said it will launch the new function to let me chat via online windows. To some people, it may doesn't matter that much; but to me, an Internet guru but has to use the office computer without the right to set up any software there, it is really great news. At least, I could chat on my Gmail account in my office computer, forbiddened to set up gmail chatting software, from now on. Google is great in doing such helpful and warm things.

Thanks Godnesss.....

Media_A coming graded Internet

In Chinese, we say "people have different grade, such as rich and poor, or high class and low class". But the words were not once available on Internet, though now a new Internet with different grade seems coming.

Here, a new system to give priority to paid emails is created, while we could imagine how our unpaid, or free emails, will be treated by our email providers. One email may take a day's time to arrive to the right place because it doesn't been paid. (read the story on NY times)

There, Sina.com opened a new blog site for celebrities in China. Imagine how many comments got for a female star Xu Jinglei? over 500, and always. So on an Internet which should be fair, celebrities draw more attention.

Internet is also the society; In the start-up, you feel free and fair; later, you will find someone has more power that you; at last, it is the society like we are living now.

So what? give up the Internet, me?///

Media_Boss Change

The big boss of our paper will be changed shortly. Mark Clifford, will go to South China Morning Post, the rival of the Standard, as the group editor-in-chief. I wonder if it is always the rule for most people working in the Standard. Standard first, and then bigger one SCMP.

Many reporters in our newspaper left for SCMP in the past day, after SCMP reporter left for news wires or PR companies. Newspaper, to me, has already been a cliche business, where it could just live with the last breath.

But newspaper is still a big part of the media which you could see the real readership. I suggested my boss to open a Chinese news website to attract mainland Chinese who live in Hong Kong that day. Then he asked how it could make money even if the site got the readership. Good questions. Online media couldn't only live supporting by the advertisement, I always believe, but then what could they depend on?

Media_what a shame to repeat the same action

I always love my country, but it doesn't mean I should always bear the stupid thing the government has ever done.
---a sentence I should remember for the whole life.

Bingdian, a popular column on the official pioneer youth newspaper- China's Youth Daily, was shut down yesterday, possibly caused by a story it published blaming on the current textbooks. The author, a philosophy professor Yuan Weishi with Zhongshan University in Guangzhou, said it is not right to continute using the same history textbook now as the one during the 1950s to 1970s when several disasters including cultural revolution happens. He said the textbook should not just teach students that the world only has right things and wrong things; there should be more democratic things the children should differentiate themselves.

He compared the students who study the textbooks as "the generation feeding with milk from wolves'' and argued the school should teach how to be a modern citizen instead of to be crazy activists.

It is believed that the comparation has made some official angry. But the fact is what he argued is reasonable. Textbooks are already out of date; but the regulator seems has no idea to change it.

If you always block people from speaking from their bottom of heart, then one day nobody will speak to you.

I will remember yesterday, Jan.25. when Bingdian, the most popular columns among Chinese youths, were closed due to stupid decisions.

Media_Internet and celebrities

Living in Hong Kong, your life is never short of celebrities. TV, newspaper, posts, or even on the street, you will meet them and their big, exaggerate photos. I can't help thinking of how they make money, and how much.

My friend Edwyn Chan, who is an Internet enterprenuer in China, looks to think in the same way as I do. One of his interesting posts told about the sameness between internet business and pop stars. I would like to say it is only part of the truth. The most important point is the exposure. Celebrities could earn money shooting advertisements if they are popular; so do internet websites. See Google grab how many advertisements from traditonal media.

But could exposure make all the things? a little doubt.

Amy's another blog got readers, too

Amy loves reading Chinese history, the reason why she opened a blog, also in blogspot, named the history of China.Unfortunately, she only posted one story there, the translation of a Chinese poem.

Amazingly, someone have read that. Ted, a guy living in Singapore, wrote to Amy Friday to tell his interest in China's history. Wow, it is really nice to know friends with same interests in the world.

That's the reason why Amy doesn't want to leave Hong Kong now. Full of Chinese culture, you will feel like home.

Amy have given up the opportunity to Milan, Italy. A little frustrated, but I believe the decision will help me focusing on my current media career.

My generation is kind of "lost generation" in China; we know western culture more than the local ones. But when one day I went to a Chinese artistic exhibition, it was amazing to see how beautiful they were. Fantastic paintings and accessories, and suddenly I fell in love with them.

Stock market_Is the U.S. stockmarket model suitable to China?

I am keeping an eye on China's stockmarket these days. It is really disappointing, or maybe interesting to someone, that many state-owned companies had a so-bad performance in the past years. A famous financial-academic-turned TV idol once said Chinese companies need to learn to be responsible to shareholders, instead of the government. But I guess it will be pretty hard, when most of the big companies are still owned by the government these days. Many CEOs of those companies still hold the position in the government, or wanna to hold such positions.

How a company be responsible to two entities at the same time? it is a hard question, which could decide China's future if some smart person answer it.

Myself_I am not that smart

I always think I am smart (sounds too frank and arrogant). But today I found I am not. Clever person, if he could dig into one point, he could be smart of smart; but if he dig into various point, he would be a idiot.

I find I am the second type, at least, in the past year 2005. I need to rescue myself.

New year, new plan

It is a bit of late to conclude the year of 2005 today. But I still would like to that.
The just-past year is the Chinese rooster year, which is my "animal year". Old sayings predicted that I will get involved in unfortunate stuffs this year, so I need to wear red socks, red belts and red....pants, haha. But I found I had been lucky this year. I had a good time in the University of Hong Kong and known a lot of friends there. Then during summer holidays I spent one month in Shanghai, doing a fantastic internship and meeting many friends,too. Then I worked with an interesting newspaper in Hong Kong in the second half of the year till now. The God gave me so many opportunities to try different things, which is really a great present for a young professionals like me.

The problem now is that I lost myself in so many opportunities. I think I could do many things, but I know I need to focus to develop the specific expertise. I like journalism, I like designing, I like fashion, I like technology,,,,, but each of them may demand my whole life to contribute. Then I hesitate.....

Everyone has a new wish in the new year. Me, too. I wish I could experience a difference kind o life somewhere else before I make my final decision.

How about you guys' wishes??

Internet_the difference

People always say companies in different countries have different cultures. I didn't agree at the first time: with the fast developing of Internet, the earth seems now to be a global village, then how come the difference?

But now I agree after seeing the difference between two companies who do same business. The two are Google.com and Baidu.com(claimed to be China's google)

Google's founders-Sergey Brin and Larry Page- were awarded the title "Men of the Year" by Financial Times (FT)

Baidu's founder Li Yanhong was awarded "Men of the year" by CCTV, the largest TV station in China.

Looks the same, right? But no.

Baidu put the news on its frontpage(attention, the front searching engine page), and opened a special column to praise its boss.

Google didn't say anything on its "corporate news" section(though it could do that), not even to say the frontpage.

In the corporate culture, Chinese companies always put the leaders in the highest postion, so there are many examples on how companies go bankrupted without their founders. But the good operations are depending on the structure and regulations, not on personals.

Here, I saw the difference.

Media_what is happening?

What is happening in media these days? Many of the global media organization has fallen into the embarassing situation. Wall Street Journal may close its Asian edition and use the reporter from the Dow Jones Newswires in the future; Businessweek may close its Asian and Europe edition in order to save money; and so do many other big media once famous for their brands. So what's happening?

Internet is one the most important factors to affect those media. No one could control Internet right now. The content of the traditional media could freely, or partly freely, spead on the net, while people could read them without affording anything. But that will affect people's creativity at last. Many reporters, who used to produce more high-quality works, now have to increase their speed to produce lower quarlity stories. Google's suceess is based on the suffer of many people working in the traditional media.

Today, Google has compromised with Microsoft on a case of its employee Lee Kaifu. It doesn't need to inform media. All it does is to publish a piece on its blog. Traditional media has lost its basic value. What it should do in the future?

Law_Bank regulator via Court

Could you imagine one day SEC, the U.S. denominate banking regulator, asked the court to reconsider the ruling on the bank it regulated? You could be laugh on that, coz it will never happen.

But, that's happening in China. CBRC, China Banking Regualtory Commission, sent a formal letter to the high court, asking to revise the court's ruling related with Agricultural Bank of China.

In 2001, a poor farm applied for the 2-million-yuan loan from a branch of ABC, but it claimed that it hasn't got the reply "in time", which has brought huge loses on its business. The high court, when the farm sued the second time, ruled that the ABC branch should pay for the farm's loss.

ABC,the long-history government money firm, was angry and then filed to its regulator, CSRC, to ask for the explanation on the loan regulation. CSRC, then, sent a formal letter with four reasons to ask the high court to renew its ruling.

The point is not on who should win, but on who should decide how to implement the law. Does CSRC, though as the one who helps making the loan law before, have the right to ask the judges, who implement the law, to revise the already-made decision? CSRC is powerful, of course, but that doesn't mean it could have the rights to be the judges. It may have the right to not agree on the ruling, and it could ask the revision on the regulation to make it more clear. The right process is to revise the law first via the normal law-making procedure. Currently, it has to obey the court, however decision judges make.

The most important factor for a balanced and open society is the power restrictment on each social body. Not a single body could have unlimited power. That's what law means to the people in the society. But here, we see, some bad example.

WTO_last day, but no end yet

It is the last day for the WTO MC6 in Hong Kong. But seems until now 4pm in the afternoon, no one, including those one sitting in the negotiation room, knows what will happen. Over 1000 reporters, including me, are hanging around now, waiting for the final result to come out(I planned to rush into the negotiation room and shout at them: what are you folks really doing here?)

European Union has become the one to affect the process in the last minute, widely reported by the media. "Everyone is ganging up at me", said European Union Commissioner Peter Mandelson in the conference, described by one attendant. United States is also struggling from the talks with West Africa countries.

Leading developing countries already agreed to eliminate the export subsidies before 2013, while Brazile is arguing the deadline should be 2010.

U.S. is worries about textile import from Bangladesh and Cambodia, claimed to be the reason why they are reluctant on giving the least developing countries tarriff and quota free system.

And so on....

WTO has become a place for everyone to speak up, though U.S. and EU are still the two speakers with biggest voice....

Who will lose and who will win?

Amy_crazy in WTO MC6

Writing always needs strength, someone said before. Amy finally get that strength to go back to my blog. After some rest at home, Amy is now crazy in the fantastic WTO Ministerial Conference 6 in Hong Kong.

Described as a conference which will not get a satisfied result, the city, Hong Kong, still trys to show ministers from the world its full energy and good management.

"If no achievement could happen in such a beautiful city as Hong Kong, how ministers do that in the other cities", said Bo Xilai, Chinese Commerce Minister, who leaded a over-100-delegate group to attend the conference.

Unfortunately, Bo's colleagues are not open as Bo does. They refuse to talk to media; no press briefing; no attending the public debate; not to say to communicate with the non-profit organizations from China, though there are only two.

We could say China's low profile is its way to avoid attack; but in such an organization with 144 members, how you could avoid attack? U.S. is there, speaking, though under attack; European Union is there, under attack, too. But at least they show their attitude, make their negotiation transparent. On the other side, see developing countries who are more poor and smaller than China, they are also giving their voices. It is an organization, where everyone will forget, or discrimate you when you don't speak anything.

In such a worldwide conference, I know we could justify a country's strength from its economy, or population; let's hear its voice publicly......

Amy_back home

Amy seems disappearing for a long time, right? yeah, Amy is back home from Hong Kong. My hometown is a beautiful seaside town near Beijing. It is cold right now, but warm in my house.

People always need to recharge the "internal batteries", said one of my online friends Lutz. The words are so cute ,right? everyone has the battery inside the body, and you know what's that, isn't it?

It feels so good if you know somebody in somewhere will always miss you and bless you, then you forget all the unhappiness.

Give everyone best wishes. Have a happy week as Amy do....

Media_a local newspaper got a office explosion

Ming Pao, one of the oldest newspaper in Hong Kong, had one of its editorial office exploding at 2:50 after receiving a parcel. A secretary was injured and send to the hospital. A letter in the parcel asked the newspaper to send 30 million to an account in a non-profit organization in Hong Kong.

Terrorism visited Hong Kong??? Or what?

Law_managing a nation, by human or by law?

I am thinking this question for days. China has been a nation with thousands of years governed by human. Now the President Hu said the country should be regulated by law. Is that possible for such a big nation with a so large population?

Read a pretty interesting message yesterday. Shenzhen Development Bank, the only foreign-controlled joint-stock lender in China, said it has received notice from China Securties Regulatory Commission, asking for the return of a back-up loan. The loan once belonged to a already two bankrupted securties companies .

The message said: The regulator asked us twice to pay back the money, with the warning to send us to the court. But we haven't done that yet coz our lawyer doesn't think we have to pay. So far, no suit.

Bank_CCB listed tomorrow

China Construction Bank, whose innitial public offering in Hong Kong ranks as the largest in the world this year, will be listed today. Fund managers are guessing how the share will perform in the following days. Some are saying the price will not fall by more than 10 percent, while some other guess a slight increase.

My question is who will decide the share price. Of course, it is not just the investors. Say, Refco, the New York-based future brokerage, has applied for protection of bankruptcy because of its Chairman's scandel. The two companies, refco and CCB, are different due to the business nature, but they both have "dirty" chairmans. How do investors consider them so differently?

Bank_CCB listed tomorrow

China Construction Bank, whose innitial public offering in Hong Kong ranks as the largest in the world this year, will be listed tomorrow. Fund managers are guessing how the share will perform in the following days. Some are saying the price will not fall by more than 10 percent, while some other guess a slight increase.

My question is who will decide the share price. Of course, it is not just the investors. Say, Refco, the New York-based future brokerage, has applied for protection of bankruptcy because of its Chairman's scandel. The two companies, refco and CCB, are different due to the business nature, but they both have "dirty" chairmans. How do investors consider them so differently?