Cash-strapped Beijing Times to stop publishing at end of year

A prominent Beijing-based ­newspaper will be closed down permanently by the end of this year, amid a harsh business environment for print media on the mainland.

The Beijing Times announced on Sunday that the paper’s management had decided to stop publishing the daily starting from January 1, according to its social media account.

The newspaper, founded in 2001, had failed to solve its financial problems, caused by the impact of new media and changing markets, the statement said.

The shutdown has been rumoured among mainland journalists since last month.

The newspaper was originally affiliated with People’s Daily, and was placed under the supervision of Beijing’s municipal propaganda department in 2011. Observers say that move made it more vulnerable to censorship orders from lower-level bureaus.

The Beijing Times, along with The Beijing News, are known for focusing on social affairs, and playing the role of social watchdog within the limited scope ­allowed by media censors.