From today’s Washington Post: “China blocks New York Times Web site after report on leader’s wealth” —
The blocking of the New York Times Web site sets back an effort by the company to attract Chinese readers and advertising. This summer, it launched a new Chinese-language Web site, which had the potential of drawing especially on China’s booming luxury industry for revenue. According to Nieman Journalism Lab, the Times made a hefty investment in launching the Chinese edition, hiring hired 30 to 35 new journalists, translators and technologists.
The Times story on Wen was first posted on the English-language site Friday morning, then translated and posted on the Chinese site after a short delay. But by then, censors had blocked both Web sites completely.
“We hope that full access is restored shortly, and we will ask the Chinese authorities to ensure that our readers in China can continue to enjoy New York Times journalism,” Times spokeswoman Eileen Murphy said. “China is an increasingly open society, with increasingly sophisticated media, and the response to our [Chinese] site suggests that The Times can play an important role in the government’s efforts to raise the quality of journalism available to the Chinese people.”
“We will continue to report and translate stories, applying the same journalistic standards that are upheld across The New York Times,” Murphy added.