Shanghai United Media Group (SUMG) was established in 2013 through the merger of Jiefang Daily Press Group and Wenhui–Xinmin United Press Group, the two largest publishers in Shanghai. The group’s principal newspapers include Jiefang Daily, Xinmin Evening News, Wenhui Bao, Shanghai Daily, Xinmin Weekly, Wenhui Book Review and a number of others. In spring 2020, SUMG completed a merger with Eastday.com.
Media assets
Publishing: Jiefang Daily, Xinmin Evening News, Wenhui Bao, Shanghai Daily, Sixth Tone, The Paper
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
Information from local experts and journalists interviewed for this report indicates that SUMG is under the control of the Shanghai local government. The company is accountable to the Chinese Communist Party Committee in Shanghai.
Source of funding and budget
There is no publicly available information regarding the revenues generated by SUMG. Local experts and journalists interviewed for this report in March 2024 indicated that the media outlets run by SUMG generate revenue from advertising. However, it is understood that the majority of their income is provided by the Shanghai government.
Editorial independence
Local journalists and experts interviewed for this report in March 2024 indicate that the media run by SUMG adhere to strict editorial guidelines imposed by the local government and the local Communist Party branch in Shanghai (the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee).
Of all the media owned by SUMG, only The Paper, an online magazine targeting a younger demographic, is permitted to run investigative pieces without undue censorship. Despite this, SUMG still falls under the definition of a state-controlled media company, as the local party structures exert full control over its editorial agenda.
There is currently no legislation in place, nor any independent assessment or oversight mechanism, to validate the independence of media outlets run by SUMG.
September 2024