Online press Q Daily cuts down coverage on public affairs to stay alive

The government’s Internet Information Office in Shanghai has ordered Q Daily 好奇心日报, a Shanghai-based online publication, to stop reporting on a range of subjects including politics, economy, and military, foreign policy, and other public affairs.

On July 13, the Shanghai Internet Information Office released an announcement (in Chinese) on its WeChat account, saying that it was illegal for Q Daily to have an independent news reporting team and to provide news services. The notice reprimands Q Daily for “conducting original reporting” and “translating and publishing a large number of articles by foreign media,” which allegedly violated internet regulations and resulted in an adverse impact on public opinion. According to the announcement, the regulator has talked to representatives from the publication, who admitted to the mistakes and agreed to make changes in accordance to the official requests.

The notice doesn’t specify what articles at Q Daily irked the authorities. Founded in 2014, the publication is known for its relatively progressive coverage on public issues. It’s quite common for Q Daily to take down controversial articles after publication.

Q Daily published a statement (in Chinese) on July 13, saying that it had received criticism from the officials on its news reporting. “Subjects like business, metro, culture, and lifestyle won’t be affected,” it states. While the announcement doesn’t say what subjects are actually affected by the order, it’s clear from the website that some sections have already been removed, including  politics, economy, and military news.