media - That's crisis deepens



Just back in Shanghai, trying to deal with a giant backlog in things to do, rumors pass by about the That's crisis here in Shanghai. Foreign staff here was told last Friday that should sign a new contract with the Chinese publishing company. They all left, after erasing the information on their computers, making it very hard to get the next publication out. This might be interesting information for the companiese who planned adds in the magazine.
Different groups are now thinking of setting up a competing magazine, and since they cover different cities, it might as well become a nation-wide publication very soon.
The stories about 'management problems' are not limited to That's, but also other magazines are part of the wave of rumors passing my desk. It has become a real business over the years, with real money, so short-term greed, more than quality and sound management gets an upper hand.