Chapter 254: Wealth Rankings and the Conscience of the Press
"Yes, we can consider this a great start," Yang Wendong said with a nod.
Qin Zhiye added, "Mr. Yang Wendong, on our very first day, the paper sold 20,000 copies. Your name definitely played a huge role in that."
Yang Wendong shook his head. "That kind of thing can't be relied on every day. Eventually, we have to return to normalcy—content is the core. Honghua Daily caters to the high-end market, so we focus on the needs of wealthy readers. But Oriental Daily is a mass-market paper, so it needs to appeal to what ordinary people like. As I've said before, it's about the stories of everyday life."
Qin Zhiye replied, "You can rest assured, Mr. Yang Wendong. I've already hired over 60 field reporters who will scour Hong Kong for meaningful stories and rumors. We'll vet and publish the best of them. I've reviewed some already—many are interesting and will definitely resonate with readers."
"Good," Yang Wendong said with a smile. "As long as the stories are relatable and engaging for the average person, we're on the right track."
In this era, with no internet or widespread entertainment options, people were often bored. Anything interesting in the papers could easily grab attention.
"Exactly," Qin Zhiye continued. "But Mr. Yang Wendong, should we keep the price of Oriental Daily at 30 cents? It's already quite cheap, and we may not break even in the future."
"Let's just make sure we don't lose money for now," Yang Wendong said after a pause. "We'll focus on scaling up circulation before thinking about profits. I never expected this paper to make much money anyway.
However, we also can't run it at a loss. That would provoke the competition. I'm not afraid of them, but there's no need to stir up trouble right now. There are already other papers selling at 30 cents, so we're not undercutting the market."
In the past two years, most Hong Kong newspapers sold for 20 to 50 cents. As the economy boomed, prices rose, and 30 cents became the effective market floor.
Qin Zhiye chuckled. "There are other 30-cent papers, yes, but most of them are tabloid trash with weak content. We're offering high quality at a low price."
"Exactly the goal," Yang Wendong nodded. "Even if we sell cheap, the quality has to stay high. My aim is for Oriental Daily to become the top-selling paper in Hong Kong."
With the experience and staff from Honghua Daily, plus Yang Wendong's insights as a transmigrator and his ample financial resources, aiming for the number one spot was entirely reasonable.
Great value was a winning strategy in any industry—from luxury automobiles to budget consumer goods to services. Everyone loved getting their money's worth.
"Right," Qin Zhiye said. "Actually, Mr. Yang Wendong, I had another idea. Your popularity drove today's sales. People in Hong Kong admire the wealthy. So why don't we create a dedicated section that profiles Hong Kong's rich families, conglomerates, and companies—their current wealth, business empires, and histories? I'm sure readers will love it."
Yang Wendong frowned slightly. "Wouldn't that offend some people?"
"I plan to be very careful," Qin Zhiye said. "We'd seek approval before publishing anything. Some prefer privacy, yes, but others enjoy the limelight. For instance, Liao Baoshan and Dong Haoyun from Golden Mountain Shipping—people like that benefit from publicity. If we do it well, some might even come to us voluntarily with stories."
"That could work. Let's give it a try," Yang Wendong nodded. "To succeed in media, you do need some unconventional strategies."
The media business would always risk offending people. Even if the topic wasn't about tycoons, once a big story broke, avoiding it would be irresponsible—and covering it might anger someone.
It all came down to managing the balance.
"I'll start building the team tomorrow," Qin Zhiye said with a smile.
Yang Wendong nodded and added, "Once you have enough data, we could even compile a year-end ranking. That would draw even more attention."
"A ranking? Great idea!" Qin Zhiye's eyes lit up. "That would definitely become a hot topic in Hong Kong."
"Let's try it," Yang Wendong said with a grin. "We can call it the Hong Kong Wealth Rankings, or maybe Shipping Kings List, Real Estate Rankings—people will love it."
In the United States, magazines like Fortune and Forbes were still mainly focused on domestic data. That was because global information was hard to collect.
In Hong Kong, no one was doing this kind of data compilation yet. That might be Oriental Daily's breakthrough.
At this point, Bai Yushan chimed in from the side. "Wouldn't this kind of economic data be better suited for Honghua Daily?"
"Hahaha," Yang Wendong laughed. "That's where you're mistaken. While it looks like economic data, it's actually gossip in disguise. It's not for high-level economic readers—it's for mass consumption. That makes it perfect for Oriental Daily."
Truly wealthy individuals cared more about making money than reading about others who had money. When they read economic content, they looked for practical insights.
But regular folks loved reading about the rich. In Yang Wendong's past life, it was always the "common folk" on internet forums who discussed major global affairs the most passionately.
"Not necessarily," Bai Yushan said thoughtfully. "I have university classmates who are quite well-off, and they love reading biographies of the wealthy."
Yang Wendong nodded. "Of course, it's not absolute. But in general, that's how the trend plays out."
"It doesn't really matter," Qin Zhiye said. "If Oriental Daily has strong content, everyone will buy it. Many people in Hong Kong purchase more than one paper, and so do companies."
"Mm," Yang Wendong agreed. "Old Qin, now that the first shot has been fired, you can play to the public's love of gossip. But don't overdo it. Focus on livelihood topics."
"Understood, Mr. Yang Wendong," Qin Zhiye nodded.
Yang Wendong continued, "Also, Hong Kong's water shortage is getting worse. Put together a team specifically to follow that story.
This isn't just a matter of newsworthiness—it's about helping severely affected areas. Once the problem is exposed, the government will feel public pressure to act. And where I can help, I will."
Distribution often caused more problems than scarcity itself.
In the 21st century, the global food supply could theoretically feed 14 billion people. Yet with only 7 billion, many still went hungry—and in places like Africa, people even starved to death.
Unless supply is so abundant that it could feed three or four times the population, the poorest billion will always suffer. That level of abundance is nearly impossible.
The drought was the same. Even if all of Hong Kong suffered, the wealthy might still enjoy their swimming pools, while the poor waited hours for drinking water.
Media needed to shine a light on those darkest corners—only then could help reach them.
"Don't worry, Mr. Yang Wendong," Qin Zhiye said sincerely. "Our team is already deeply concerned about this issue. No matter how difficult, we'll find and report on the most affected areas."
When reporting could genuinely help people, the motivation was different.
Everyone in the newsroom was an ordinary person too. If their work could both feed their families and help others, even save lives, that gave them a profound sense of purpose.
"Good," Yang Wendong said. "I expect this drought will continue for a while. Make it a core focus of our future coverage. Hong Kong is a big place. There are definitely many areas in need.
Find those people. Interview them. Write it all down. Give voice to those who might not even be able to read."
While the press could be used to guide public opinion, it could also amplify the voices of the voiceless. That, to Yang Wendong, was part of the media's true mission.
With a drought affecting millions, Yang Wendong could only help so many. Only through media pressure could the government be forced to implement political solutions.
Even without him, Hong Kong would begin importing Dongjiang River water in 1965. But if his influence could push that timeline forward by even a few weeks, it could still save lives and stabilize the economy.
Back in 1965, the government had indeed sent ships to the mainland to fetch water. The more public pressure there was to do so, the better.
Of course, it was about balance. The paper could report on the drought, highlight the need for charity, and educate the public.
But when it came to criticizing the government? Best to leave that to someone else.
"Let Jin Yong handle that," Yang Wendong thought. "He loves this sort of thing."
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