Feature
Media Tour Recap: SCMP
On Wednesday 9th August 2023, Telum Media had the honour of holding a media tour at the newsroom of the SCMP in Hong Kong. The tour was hosted by the publication’s Managing Editor, Eugene Tang, who took the group of PR professionals through the workspaces and studio and shared more about the SCMP’s history and positioning. This was followed by a Q&A session, which was joined by Chief Business Reporter, Enoch Yiu.
Some key takeaways below:
Online readership
- The SCMP utilises real-time analytics to monitor digital readership, traffic and engagement. This data informs editorial decisions, delivering relevant and captivating news.
- 90 per cent of the SCMP’s online readership comes from beyond Hong Kong.
- The US constitutes the largest audience (35-45 per cent of monthly readership), while Southeast Asia (primarily Singapore and Malaysia) is second with a similar share.
- Hong Kong readership comprises about 10-15 per cent.
- US readers encompass congressional staff and businesspersons engaged with Greater China. Southeast Asian readers maintain economic links to Greater China, including investors and businesspeople.
- Casual "fly by" readers are drawn to eye-catching society or trending news.
- Dedicated teams handle pre-recorded studio content.
- The publication boasts an interview-ready studio for senior leaders and experts. PRs seeking in-person interviews should highlight this criterion.
- Video pitches hinge on visual appeal and attention-grabbing qualities.
- Focusses for the remainder of 2023 include but are not limited to the upcoming COP 28 in Dubai, large conferences in Hong Kong (e.g., Hong Kong Monetary Authority’s Global Financial Leaders’ Investment Summit and FII Institute’s FII PRIORITY Asia Summit) as well as the usual business, politics, economy, business management and family offices news.
- SCMP is committed to deep climate change coverage. It reports from several distinct angles: Business of Climate Change, which encompasses ESG, green bonds, green finance and the cost of transforming to the new economy; Science and Technology of Climate Change, which covers electric vehicles, new energy as well as green retrofitting; Diplomacy of Climate Change, which delves into topics including the competing standards of different countries and politics of climate change; and the Lifestyle of Climate Change, which explores green lifestyles.
- US-China relations and Middle Eastern coverage remain significant, alongside fundraising.
- The best way to understand the SCMP and its positioning is by reading its stories and content.
- Local stories should have a broader significance or connections to appeal to the majority of the SCMP’s readers, who are based outside of Hong Kong.
- It is important to understand what the publication represents and have knowledge of its readership, content coverage and target audience to craft a pitch to the publication.
- It is no longer sufficient to give a “one-size-fits-all” pitch or press release. It is important to consider a publication’s strengths and weaknesses when pitching.
- Rather than pitching after a deal announcement, it is helpful if organisations are willing to provide information in advance.
- The SCMP welcomes engagement with its IP events. PRs can get in touch proactively about pitching speakers and other involvement for events including but not limited to its China Conference series as well as Redefining Hong Kong series.
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Telum Media
Database
Journalists
Enoch Yiu
Chief Business Reporter
Eugene Tang
Managing Editor
Media
South China Morning Post
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