Chinese Press Sells Good Coverage

When people criticize China’s press for not being free, this isn’t usually what they mean. Though it’s technically illegal, the practice of paying for positive coverage in China is so widespread that some publications advertise their going rates. A profile in Chinese Esquire will run you about $20,000 a page, while a spot on China Central Television will cost about $4,000 a minute. Some companies are as open as the publications about the practice: the major advertising and PR firm Ogilvy & Mather tells The New York Times that it pays for coverage. Others are less forthcoming. Despite Chinese Esquire’s claim that Bang & Olufsen and Audi paid $10,000 a page for a five-page feature, both companies denied doing so.