Newspaper rivals battle for Shenzhen

Competition between regional tabloids raises issue on whether they should be allowed to encroach on each other's turf

The Shenzhen Newspaper Group's tabloid flagship, Sunshine Daily, is expected to turn a profit in only its third year of operations, a senior executive at the media group said.

Sunshine Daily's success has been aided by the Shenzhen municipal government, which has actively fended off the advance of an aggressive cross-delta competitor - Guangzhou-based Southern Metropolis News, another tabloid-format daily published by the Guangdong Party Committee's Southern Daily Group.

According to the executive, who spoke on condition of anonymity, Sunshine Daily has also benefited from a recent directive by the National Press Distribution Bureau that bans newspapers from publishing new editions tailored to regions outside their main area of operations - something that Southern Metropolis News has been doing with much success in Shenzhen.

Newspapers which break the rules will be subject to punishment according to the bureau's distribution management ordinance and other relevant regulations, with local press management authorities responsible for supervising newspapers in their territories.

Southern Metropolis News has attracted a loyal following in the special economic zone by beefing up local coverage. On average, its Shenzhen edition contains seven to eight pages of dedicated Shenzhen news and also a stand-alone section - Shenzhen Magazine - which typically has more than 20 pages of locally focused classified advertising. These do not appear in its flagship Guangzhou edition.