Chinese ban on new foreign magazines

Posted by Jeffrey Blyth on 10 April 2006 at 11:31
Tags: China, Journalism, Magazines, United States

Rolling Stone has really hit the Great Wall. The government in Beijing has decided that the magazine cannot publish a second issue of its Chinese edition – because it failed to get proper approval for its front cover and title.

In fact Beijing has imposed a moratorium on all new foreign magazines on topics other than science and technology. That – says the Wall Street Journal – is a big blow to media companies that were seeking to cash in on China’s booming ad market.

It’s a particular set-back to life-style magazines. Titles that have already got approval have been assured they can continue publishing This should include the Chinese edition of Vogue, which was launched last September.

Sports Illustrated, which announced last month it hoped to launch a sports magazine in China sometime soon and says it has concluded a partnership with a Chinese company is optimistic it will get the go-ahead.

As for Rolling Stone, an official in Shanghai said curtly “It doesn’t exist anymore.�

Tags: China, Journalism, Magazines, United States