Just as people were voicing their fears about SCMP’s editorial integrity post-Alibaba takeover, the newspaper goes and accidentally announces Chinese President Xi Jinping’s death.
In yesterday’s newspaper, an article on the president’s new PLA title and military uniform drew criticism when eagle-eyed readers spotted that it incorrectly announced Xi had died last year.
Whoops. #ThatAwkwardMoment when you call out ATV for their premature obituary for Jiang Zemin then do the same thing just a few weeks later.
While the online version of the article has since been corrected, the error is still alive and kicking (much like Xi) in print copies of yesterday’s paper.
In the article, journalist Minnie Chan wrote about former President Hu Jintao’s two deputies, Guo Boxiong and Xu Caihou.
“Guo is facing trial on corruption charges, while Xi died last year,” Chan wrote.
What a difference one single letter makes when it comes to short surnames.
Six years ago, the SCMP also mistakenly printed then-President Hu Jintao’s name as Hu Jia, which is actually the name of a human rights activist, who is currently under house arrest. Oh dear.
Yesterday, SCMP’s new owner Jack Ma pledged not to interfere in the paper’s editorial independence, but we can’t help but think if this entire snafu could have been avoided if he noticed his own buddy‘s death being announced.
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