Chinese-language newspapers, vital to the community, became largely inaccessible during the pandemic as people were restricted from visiting the places where they were distributed. It’s part of why Canada’s largest Chinese daily newspaper, Sing Tao Daily, has stopped printing across the country. After 44 years in Canada, its last publication date is Saturday. “The Chinese newspaper is really, really important to a lot of my members, the seniors,” said Lisa Chan, executive director of the Calgary Chinese Senior Citizens Association. “It’s a great success for Calgary.” It’s a trend across Canada’s Chinese media landscape. In Calgary, a number of other Chinese-language newspapers have stopped printing due to the impact of the pandemic, leaving only one locally printed newspaper to inform the Chinese community — especially the elderly who don’t usually get their news online.
The pandemic has changed readership patterns
Originating in Hong Kong, Sing Tao Daily was distributed throughout Calgary, Toronto and Vancouver. The daily paper ceased publication in Calgary in 2016, but its weeklies — Canadian City Post and Sing Tao Cosmopolitan — also end their physical editions on Saturday. While some Sing Tao readers have returned since restrictions were lifted, Wong says it has not returned to pre-pandemic levels, which were already declining. “We are seeing the audience change in how they consume daily information and news,” Wong said. “We believe the time is right to change and move into a new phase.” It’s the same situation for Trend Media, formerly known as Trend Weekly. It was a free weekly magazine before going out of print and transitioning fully to an online platform in August. “With the pandemic, more people are kind of relying on information online right now. So less and less people are really paying much attention to hard copies,” said publisher Danny Chan. The pandemic has affected readership for many Chinese-language newspapers across Canada because they are distributed to restaurants and grocery stores. (Ose Irete/CBC) Chan says the high cost of printing was also a factor, especially with declining readership. He says all proceeds from the publication would go into printing. “I think the newspaper printing business is going all downhill right now because we can hardly make enough money to cover the printing costs,” he said. It was also seeing a decline in willing advertisers – the publication’s main source of revenue. Most advertisers target readers under 50 and are now spending their money on online promotions, Chan says. “Most of our print readers are older. They don’t have that kind of spending.” Both Trend Media and Sing Tao will continue to publish e-books online. Other local newspapers in Calgary, such as the Oriental Weekly, say on their websites that they have stopped printing indefinitely during the pandemic.
The Chinese elderly were left behind
As much of the world shifted online during the pandemic, Wong says the elderly have become more tech-savvy and can learn how to find news online. But Liza Chan says that’s not the case with the seniors she works with at the Calgary Chinese Senior Citizens Association. Liza Chan is the executive director of the Calgary Chinese Senior Citizens Association. He says many of the elderly are not online, so they rely on Chinese newspapers. (Submitted by Liza Chan) “There are still many old people [who are] I don’t have access to a computer or I don’t have the ability to do that,” he said. He says routine is important for the elderly, and reading the Chinese newspaper every week is a big part of their routine – specifically, the weekly editions of Sing Tao and Trend Weekly. But now, these are no longer an option. A few other international newspapers are still distributed in Calgary, including the Vision Times and Enoch Times, but now there is only one locally printed Chinese newspaper in Calgary that seniors can rely on. It’s limiting for seniors, Chan says, because that one option is in higher demand. “When you have three different species, you can still get maybe one out of three. But now you might not have any,” he said.
Latest locally printed Chinese newspaper
The Canadian Chinese Times was the first local Chinese newspaper established in Calgary in 1981. Now, it is the last one in circulation. “It’s sad, actually,” said Jake Louie, editor of the Canadian Chinese Times. “We don’t mind competition at all because it will give readers and the community more choice.” “Now, we’re the only ones left. So it’s kind of lonely, you know, in a way.” Jake Lui is the founder and publisher of the Canadian Chinese Times, now Calgary’s only locally printed Chinese newspaper. (Submitted by Jake Louie) The weekly newspaper, published every Thursday, is aimed at Chinese seniors and young immigrants who want to learn about the Canadian way of life and stay up-to-date on what’s happening in Calgary. About 12,000 copies are printed each week and distributed to more than 60 locations across the city. As the latest Chinese newspaper, Louie says demand has skyrocketed. “Our paper is going like hotcakes,” Louie said. He says they once considered switching to an online platform only because of rising printing costs and declining advertising. But when they asked readers for their thoughts, the feedback was almost unanimous. “”No, I don’t know how to connect to the internet and I don’t have a computer. We really need print papers to be able to get the information out there.” Tony Wong, president of the Calgary Chinese Cultural Centre, says Chinese newspapers play an important role in the daily life of the community. Reading the newspaper with his family every Thursday and Friday has become a ritual, he says. Not only does it help him stay up to date on what’s going on in the community, but his wife searches ads for the best deals and sales to share with her sisters. This has not changed during the pandemic. Instead, in the early days, his wife made sure he wore gloves to pick up the newspaper. He would also spray his hands and paper with sanitizer. “I just pray that the Canadian Chinese Times will remain in print for many years to come. Otherwise, many of our lives will be at risk,” he said. Chan says she hopes the Canadian Chinese Times will consider printing more copies as demand grows so that no Chinese in Calgary will lose touch with the community.
