HONG KONG, 27 July 2020 – The South China Morning Post announced today the launch of a new subscription service for SCMP.com and the SCMP app. Beginning in August, it will roll out in phases over several months across the world.
This announcement marks the next phase of SCMP’s digital transformation and its exponential growth as a global news company. The English-language media platform reached upwards of 50 million monthly readers in recent months, comprising a mostly international audience that relies on SCMP for its unparalleled and trusted expertise on China and Asia.
With the introduction of this reader revenue initiative, SCMP is safeguarding the future of the 116-year-old news organisation and its independent journalism, with critical and essential coverage that explains China’s growing influence and how it impacts and challenges the world.
Readers will be able to access some articles for free, before they are prompted with a message to subscribe for further unlimited access. Subscribers will receive award-winning news reporting and opinions, along with the in-depth analysis and investigative journalism that have come to be expected from SCMP. They will also enjoy personalisation features across SCMP’s platforms that enhance the reading and discovery experience, along with privileged access to SCMP’s virtual and in-person events. All information critical to community health and safety will continue to be freely accessible to all readers.
Said SCMP CEO Gary Liu, “SCMP has long championed the plurality of voices in Asia with independent journalism and we are firmly committed to continue serving our readers with comprehensive coverage of China and Asia. Advertising alone can no longer sustain high-quality journalism in the digital age, so we must continue to evolve our business models and diversify our revenue streams.
“Our readership growth has been an encouraging validation of SCMP’s editorial quality and professionalism and we believe this initiative will strengthen the journalistic excellence that our readers deserve and further our mission to lead the global conversation on China.”
SCMP has been diversifying its revenue streams to build sustainable business models for the future. Last month, the company announced SCMP Research, a new paid knowledge vertical that publishes commercial reports on leading industries in China. In May, it launched SCMP Lighthouse, a sophisticated first-party data platform that positions the Post as a preferred digital advertising platform with unparalleled consumer insights to drive efficiencies and improve campaign ROI. It has also ramped up its events business with a calendar of 40+ virtual webinars this year – a fourfold increase over in-person events initially planned at the start of the year.
Kindly refer to the letter from SCMP’s Editor-in-Chief to our readers here.
ABOUT SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
The South China Morning Post is a leading global news company that has reported on China and Asia for more than a century. Founded in 1903, SCMP is headquartered in Hong Kong, where it is the city’s newspaper of record, with a growing correspondent staff across Asia and the United States. SCMP’s vision is to “Elevate Thought” and our mission is to “Lead the global conversation about China”. Additionally, SCMP publishes a portfolio of premium lifestyle and fashion titles in Hong Kong including Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Esquire and, Harper’s BAZAAR. SCMP is also home to Abacus, a digital news brand focused on China’s tech industry; Inkstone, a daily news brief for those curious about China’s growing impact around the world; and Goldthread, a content platform with a focus on food, travel and culture in China. In 2020, SCMP became the first news organisation in Asia to join the Trust Project, a consortium of top news companies developing global transparency standards for credible journalism.
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