Todo rosa

 El Universo (Guayaquil) 30 de agosto de 2020.

Como Lázaro

Ayer las autoridades chinas apresaron el dueño del Apple Daily de Hong Kong, Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, a sus dos hijos, a cuatro directivos de Next Media y a algunos manifestantes. El cargo es por poner en peligro la seguridad nacional. Subo el editorial del Apple Daily de hoy con su curiosa referencia a la resurrección de Lázaro:

“We will cross that bridge when we come to it” 

By Koo Lap

Jimmy Lai Chee-ying and his two sons, four staff from Next Media, and young protesters like Agnes Chow Ting, were detained under the arbitrary criminal charge of “endangering national security.” The collateral punishment deployed was created by Shang Yang more than 2,000 years ago. In a scene similar to the Cultural Revolution, more than 200 police, as if they were facing the most prominent terrorist, barged into the headquarters of Apple Daily to search and brutally trample on the freedom of the press. So far, the operation has not completed. In fact, no one knows when the National Security Law raids would end, although the law was said to target only a "very small number of people". As the whole city is trapped in the darkness of white terror, it brings Hong Kong people, who are accustomed to freedom, an unprecedented panic.

The large-scale raid in the oldest free port stimulated worldwide condemnation. Eight clowns chose that timing to set off fireworks and opened champagne in front of the Next Digital building to celebrate the violent suppression which is unfamiliar to Hong Kong people. The next day, Aron Kwok Wai-keung of the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions went to the police headquarters to ingratiate and cheer for the police force, urging them to "withstand external pressure" and "strictly enforce the law to punish gangsters in Hong Kong for collusion with foreign powers." In a small world, a few flies hit the wall. The general public vowed that even if Apple Daily printed blank pages, they would still fully support it. In the face of adversity, Apple daily did not produce blank pages. Some citizens paid for the Apple Daily newspapers to distribute to the neighborhood. The sales of Apple Daily at newsstands soared ten folds. The increase in Next Media's stock price was even more shocking. There is no need to question the will of the people. As Cheung Kim Hung, the chief executive of Apple Daily, said "Apple Daily must fight on!"

How to fight? Besides the strong support from the general public and the unremitting efforts from the staff, it may be the aspirations "to write till the very last moment" represented by Fung Hei-kin and so as most of the authors. There is no lack of tragic persistence to live and die with Apple Daily. Nobody knows when that moment will come, not even Jimmy Lai, who is at the helm. However, in the face of persecution by the autocracy, he is calm and accepting: willing to bear the humiliation of being handcuffed and even the threat of being put in a dark prison. He is obviously looking forward to what Benny Tai Yiu-ting has shown us - "the glory of resurrection from the dead."

Yes, with the enormous support of the general public, readers, writers, and employees, Apple Daily will not barely fight on but will undoubtedly share Benny Tai’s "the glory of resurrection from the dead" with Hong Kong people. He cited the story from Chapter 11 of the Gospel of John: Lazarus was seriously ill and his sister begged Jesus to save him. However, Jesus arrived at the tomb late after Lazarus had been dead for four days. Jesus was not there to pay a tribute, but to ask someone to remove the stone blocking the tomb for Lazarus to come out. That's it, Lazarus resurrected. Jesus didn't leave him to remain dead, but if Lazarus hadn't gone through the course of death, he would not have seen the glory of resurrection from the dead.

In the face of the 810 round-up, Benny Tai encouraged the Hong Kong people that, “all those who still want to believe that Hong Kong will be reborn one day, you need to understand that the power that can make Hong Kong reborn is beyond individuals. The process of waiting for rebirth will be dark and painful. But once you survive through it, you can welcome a new life." The road to being reborn is undoubtedly dark and painful, but Hong Kong people are not alone. Young people protested against the autocracy, paid the price with blood and sweat, and won the sympathy and support of the world. Today, the UK, the US, Europe, and Japan, together with the United Nations, are all concerned about the fate of Hong Kong people. Both the UK and Australia do not hesitate to pay huge economic costs to sanction against the barbaric power. In a peaceful and prosperous age, such a firm stand is rare. The Wuhan virus drags the world into the economic abyss, but the ambition to fight against totalitarianism is unwavering. This shows that the civilized world is aware of the endless ramifications for condoning evil. If we don't seize the opportunity and deal with it seriously, we will be filled with remorse and shame.

Whether we like it or not, Hong Kong people are at the forefront of an unprecedented contest between freedom and totalitarianism. This is not a familiar situation for the Hong Kong people. The days to come will be a dark and painful journey Benny Tai has referred to, and it is inevitable to be battered. In the darkness and pain, the people of Hong Kong must embrace the hope of resurrection from the dead and to fight on by exerting their highly resilient spirit of "we will cross that bridge when we come to it ". It is certain that dictatorship must be eliminated through history if it stands in the way of human nature. Add oil, everybody!

Aquí la noticia del subidón de la cotización de las acciones de Next Media, la empresa editora del periódico, en Cinco Días (Madrid). 

El New York Times le gana al New York Times

En el segundo trimestre de 2020 el New York Times consiguió un nuevo récord de ganancias, pero esta vez con una novedad: el monto de ingresos por suscripciones digitales le ganó al periódico. Aquí la nota en el NYTimes (5 de agosto). 

Todavía no saben si es por la pandemia o a pesar de la pandemia del nuevo coronavirus.

Van algunos números actualizados:

• El segundo trimestre de 2020 agregaron 493.000 nuevos suscriptores solo de noticias. 

• Más otros 176.000 con extras como cocina y palabras cruzadas. 

• Suman 6.500.000 suscriptores, de los que 800.000 reciben el diario y 5.700.000 acceden solo al digital.

• Por primera vez las ganancias por la edición digital sobrepasan a las del papel. 

• La suscripción para lectores internacionales está a USD 2 por mes (promocional).

• A este paso van a llegar a los 10.000.000 de suscriptores antes de 2025.

Le paso también esta entrevista a Mark Thompson, CEO de la empresa desde principios de 2012 hasta el próximo 8 de septiembre, cuando dejará su puesto a Meredith Kopit Levien. Fue publicada en el sitio de la consultora McKinsey & Company (no sé cuánto va a durar allí).

Y también le puede interesar esta nota en Denker Uber, el blog de Mariano Amartino que acabo de encontrar.

Vertical de Folha de S. Paulo

Folha de S. Paulo, 9 de agosto de 2020.

Capa branca de O Estado de S. Paulo

O Estado de S. Paulo, 8 de agosto de 2020.

Estuvimos ahí

El Universo, Guayaquil, 6 de agosto de 2020. No publicamos lo que nos dijeron. Tampoco declaraciones de las autoridades, de los chinos o de la industria pesquera ecuatoriana. Misión del periodismo también es testimoniar.