China financial news market poised for growth, but blocks hurt

Kathy Chu and William Launder of The Wall Street Journal write about how the websites of many financial news organizations are being blocked in China at a time when that market needs business news and data.

Chu and Launder write, “Access to The Wall Street Journal’s Chinese-language site was blocked in mid-November, about the same time as Reuters’s site was blocked.

“Gerard Baker, editor in chief of the Journal’s parent, Dow Jones & Co., said in a written comment that the company is ‘eager to continue to bring the world’s news to China and China’s news to the world. Transparency enhances trust.’

“The Journal’s Chinese-language site, which has been operating for more than a decade, has 2.2 million followers on China’s popular Sina Weibo social media site. Dow Jones is a unit of media conglomerate

“A spokeswoman for Thomson Reuters’ news division said its Chinese-language website has been blocked by the Chinese government, but the company hopes ‘access will be restored soon.’

“Bloomberg, whose website was blocked in late June of 2012, declined to comment.”

Read more here.