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TOKYO -- Despite the appearance in the past few years of
English-language online news services in nearly every major Asian city,
old-fashioned English-language print newspapers are enjoying a renaissance
in the region.
Competition from expanding outsiders like the Financial Times and
International Herald Tribune plus beefed-up content and service by the
Asian Wall Street Journal has put pressure on local papers in major cities.
Some Asian cities where English is not the first language have more
English language newspapers than most major American cities.
In Tokyo, the vernacular press is led by Yomiuri Shimbun with 10
million circulation and Asahi Shimbun with 8 million circulation. Three
other Japanese-language papers have circulations above four million and
another above one million.
In the US, only New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles
Times, USA Today and the Sunday Washington Post have circulations above
one million.
Tokyo has five English-language dailies ranging from the prestigious and
improved Japan Times at 90,000 to Mainichi Daily News at about 20,000.
There are several weeklies ranging from Tokyo Weekender with a 30-year
history to newcomer Tokyo Classified, which will help you find anything
from a language tutor to a bicycle.
In Hong Kong the English-language South China Morning Post, and in
Singapore the Straits Times, each with over 300,000 circulation, are the
best papers though not the largest. Both are upgrading steadily the quality
of their print report and design, and each has an attractive online
service.
The expansion is creating new opportunities for advertisers to reach
upscale English-language audiences interested in stock markets and
financial deals, cultivated originally by such news programs introduced by
CNN television.
David Ignatius, an associate editor and columnist for The Washington
Post, was named April 3 as executive editor of the Paris-based
International Herald Tribune.
The English-language paper, printed in 19 cities across Europe and
Asia, is jointly owned and published by The Washington Post and New York
Times.
Ignatius, 49, said he sees himself as plunging into a global
"newspaper war."
He said he would push the paper to focus more on "how the technology
explosion in America is being built out into the rest of the world."
The Herald Tribune's circulation is 234,000, up from about 180,000
four years ago.
The Wall Street Journal has a European and Asian circulation of
152,000, while the Financial Times, including its home base of Britain, has
average daily sales of 385,000.
On March 23, Urban C. Lehner, Publisher and Executive Editor of the
Asian Wall Street Journal announced " important improvements."
"First, we are going to deliver the newspaper earlier and will
introduce morning home delivery service to most neighborhoods.
"We are introducing a crisp new design for your newspaper. Featuring
color and increased use of graphics, the design provides more navigational
aids.
"Today we print in nine major cities across Asia--more than any other
regional publication--so readers can enjoy early morning delivery. We have
75 full-time journalists across the region-more than any other regional
publication.
In Seoul, South Korea, the Korea Herald and Korea Times are talking
about special editions for the capital of Pyongyang, North Korea, as
long-strained relations improve.
In Taipei, Taiwan, a third English-language daily--The Taipei
Times--has appeared to challenge The China Post and The Taiwan News, whose
name changed from China News.
Taipei Times is published by the Liberty Times group, close to outgoing
President Lee Teng-hui. New Editor-in-Chief of the China News is Melvin
Goo, former Neiman Fellow and ex-news editor of Nikkei Weekly in Tokyo.
There's even some sprucing-up going on in mainland China. The China
Daily, established in 1981 and with a world-wide circulation of 150,000,
added a vivid color logo--red, of course--this year. A
recent start-up--the Shanghai Daily--used full-color from the first issue.
Edward Neilan (eneilan@crisscross.com) is a veteran journalist, based in Tokyo, who covers East Asia and writes weekly for World Tribune.com.