The People's Daily, mouthpiece of the Communist Party, is to scrap its overseas edition by the end of the year and channel its resources into its Internet edition, Beijing sources said.
The decision was made after propaganda chiefs rejected the daily's application to turn the newspaper's Internet section into a separate operation, the sources said.
Propaganda chiefs decided to boost the daily's Internet operation by scrapping the overseas edition so that more editorial staff and resources could be focused on the Internet operation, they said.
The daily's Internet section, now graded at departmental level, will be promoted to semi-ministerial level. Part of the reform plan for the Internet section includes increased updating of news content, and the Web site design will become more user-friendly.
The People's Daily Web site will have its own reporters generating news stories that might not be used in the newspaper edition.
Beijing sources said the most eye-catching reform was the strengthening of the Web site's browser-feedback forum, the hope being that debate on controversial topics could be encouraged.
Although censorship will continue, editors believe the Internet forum will allow a greater degree of free thinking and dynamic discussion than is found in 'letters to the editor' columns in other state publications.