Maxim magazine: China Daily plagiarises China Today's errors

The China Daily has an article on its website entitled:

Glossy magazines seek to score with Chinese men

Nice opening sentence: It's almost impossible to find a bottle of men's deodorant in most Chinese cities. Chinese men are not renowned as Metrosexuals. But several publishing houses are banking on their ability to turn local men into sophisticates in shopping, and sex.

That doesn't sound like China Daily style, does it? Well, of course it's not.

The article was taken from the website of China Today, the oldest English language magazine in the PRC which was founded by Song Qingling (Soong Ching Ling) in 1952. The magazine used be known as 'China Reconstructs' but changed its name a few years ago because half a century seemed like an awful long time for China to be reconstructing.

Back to the article about men's magazines: it's not bad. However, it makes a mistake that typifies the appalling lack of fact-checking that blights journalism in these parts. According to the piece:

The UK's Dennis Publishing meanwhile launched Maxim magazine in China in April of this year. The Chinese edition is the title's 23rd. Published through a joint venture with Hong Kong's South China Morning Post; Maxim covers typically feature famous Chinese singers/actresses and it has a combined circulation of 180,000.

This information was probably taken from a press release published before Maxim's original launch date. Maxim has in fact not yet been published, although it will almost certainly be launched before the end of the year.

Facts. Who needs em?

The China Today story is here.
China Daily republished the article here, crediting China Today but not the author Mark Godfrey.
The press release where China Today probably got their 'facts' is here.

The pictured magazine cover is one of China Today's early issues, from 1952 . The image was stolen from China Today's website.