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SCMP 115th Anniversary
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Editor-in-Chief Tammy Tam (centre) with members of the 24/7 newsgathering team at the South China Morning Post’s headquarters in Times Square, Causeway Bay. Photo: Dickson Lee 

Editor-in-Chief Tammy Tam celebrates South China Morning Post’s achievements in past 115 years and outlines its mission for future

  • First edition of the newspaper hit the streets on November 6, 1903
  • It has covered the many dramatic and historic events which have shaped Hong Kong, China and the world

Birthdays are a time for celebration but also provide a good opportunity to reflect on the past and look ahead to the future. The 115th anniversary of the South China Morning Post is no exception.

The first edition of this newspaper hit the streets on November 6, 1903. The new publication, launched in Hong Kong by founders Tse Tsan-tai and Alfred Cunningham, entered a challenging media market at a time when new technology was transforming the industry. Some things, then, have not changed.

The Post has published continually since its launch, except for a brief period during the second world war. We have covered the many dramatic and historic events which have shaped Hong Kong, China and the world. The company has moved with the times, evolving and adapting to meet the needs of its readers and changes in the business environment.

In this commemorative series of articles, we tell the colourful story of Tse Tsan-tai, who was driven by a determination to bring about reform in Qing dynasty China. We trace the history of the Post through the nine offices it has inhabited over the years, from harbour-side premises in Central to its new headquarters in Times Square, Causeway Bay.
We recall the iconic pictures taken by the Post’s photographers, including veteran Chan Kiu who served the paper for 28 years. We look back at some of the most memorable front pages, review the Post’s digital transformation, its coverage of China including Hong Kong, and its engagement with the community. And look out for the cartoon strip telling our story.
These are exciting times for the Post. This year has seen a move to new state-of-the-art offices. We have redesigned the newspaper, introduced a new logo, and brought about a shift in corporate culture. Digital publication has become the priority. The Post’s online readership has grown dramatically since Alibaba bought the company in 2016. We are now read by tens of millions of readers and are encouraged by strong signs of further growth around the world.

But the Post will stay true to its traditions. Hong Kong remains our home and we continue to take great pride in our newspaper, while developing new digital products. Throughout its history, the Post has strived to bring its readers fair and accurate reports on the key issues and events shaping the world we live in. This will continue.

Our vision is to elevate thought and our mission is to lead the global conversation about China. We aim to provide comprehensive, well-informed, objective reporting on all that is happening in China as the country develops. We have talented journalists who will help us make the best use of the digital tools available to present our content in a variety of forms. This will be done in accordance with our core editorial values of truth and fairness.

We will work hard to ensure we provide our readers in Hong Kong and around the world with a credible, trustworthy source of news. In this way we hope to inform and inspire sensible debate about the complex issues concerning China and its role in the world today.

The best judges of whether we succeed are you, our readers. We celebrate today’s anniversary with you and look forward to serving you for many more years in the future.

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