News across the great wall: Asian news organisations’ web strategies for the China market

Abstract

Asians comprise more than half of the world’s online population, and China has long surpassed the U.S. as the biggest Internet market in the world. Through a series of in-depth interviews with senior managers at five prominent Asian news organisations–Lianhe Zaobao (Singapore), China Times (Taiwan), United Daily News (Taiwan), Phoenix TV (Hong Kong), and Chosun Ilbo (Korea), this comparative case study explores how these organisations engage Internet users in mainland China via their Chinese-language Web sites. The findings reveal how leading Asian news brands approach transnational news management through different operating models. Of particular interest are their content, marketing, and revenue strategies, political, economic, and cultural barriers to entry, and the extent Chinese Internet users constitute a strategic focus. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.