China Media Push Into the Web

As increasing numbers of Chinese go online, China’s state media outlets are aggressively expanding beyond their traditional roles as propaganda outlets and competing with private Internet companies. Xinhua, the state-run news service, recently launched a search engine, Panguso.com, in partnership with state-owned telecommunications carrier China Mobile Ltd. The move comes a few months after People’s Daily, a big state-run newspaper, started its own search engine, Goso.cn. The paper has also started its own Twitter-like messaging service.

Meanwhile, China Central Television has launched its own online video platform, CNTV, which provides content from the monopoly broadcaster’s 20 channels, as well as content from other online-video sites. But the state-run giants face challenges as they scramble to catch up with companies such as Baidu Inc., which operates China’s largest search engine; Sina Corp., which runs China’s most active Web-based messaging service; and Youku.com Inc., China’s biggest video website.

“Expanding into Internet services is both an opportunity and challenge for state-owned media,” a CCTV spokesman said in a written response to questions from The Wall Street Journal. “Since the Internet market is a fully open and competitive area, state-owned media face difficulties and problems with low marketization and so on, compared with newly emerged private Internet companies.”

SOURCE

One thought on “China Media Push Into the Web

  • Marisa SungPost author

    I think that this is great news! I believe that it is only a matter of time before partnerships and alliances with private internet/social network businesses are formed for a mutually beneficial relationship!

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Marisa Sung Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *