Economic Observer

The Economic Observer is an independent Chinese weekly newspaper that publishes news and commentary related to China's economic, political and social developments.

The newspaper is distributed in major cities throughout China and is considered by many to be one of the top three economic-focused newspapers in China and is well regarded for its in-depth special features and commentary.

Inspired by the British Financial Times, as of September 2001, the Economic Observer has also been printed on salmon/peach-colored paper.

History

Founded in August 2000, the Economic Observer began as news publication dedicated to supporting China's market liberalization and reporting on socioeconomic and political events with a stated commitment to journalistic integrity.

In 2001 the Sanlian Group, a Shandong provincial government holding company specializing in selling electrical appliances (not affiliated with the similarly-named Sanlian media companies), took control of the paper and re-launched it as a national business-oriented weekly.

The first issue was published in April 2001 and was 24 pages. In December 2006 the newspaper expanded to a 56-page format before expanding again in 2011 to the current 60-page format. The page count of each issue might vary depending on the publication of various special inserts or features.

Sections

The Economic Observer features seven regular sections: News, Nation, Market, Corporation, Automobile/Property, Observer, Business Review/Lifestyle.

The newspaper also used to publish regular pull-out publications that were distributed for free with the newspaper. These included a monthly Book Review and a quarterly review. The EO's Book Review still appears once a month but is incorporated into the Observer section of the newspaper and is no longer published as a stand alone.

Style

The Economic Observer is considered to take a noticeably independent approach to reporting news. The newspaper also has a reputation for being "pro-business" and in favor of the continuation of market reforms. The paper also enjoys a reputation for provocative social commentary and understated promotion of political change. The paper's editorials are written by its own staff and editors are committed to expressing their views in plain language.