Tammy Tam, Editor of SCMP
My Disappointment with SCMP
As I sit here reflecting on World News Day – that global rallying cry for fact-based journalism led by over 900 newsrooms worldwide – I can't shake a profound sense of irony. The South China Morning Post (SCMP), one of Hong Kong's flagship outlets and a proud participant in this initiative, published a stirring message from Editor-in-Chief Tammy Tam. Titled something along the lines of "Acknowledging their role as watchdog, newsrooms must rise to the challenge by embracing new technology while maintaining integrity," it was a heartfelt ode to the "search for the truth." Tam's words rang true: Journalists must "substantiate facts, use dependable sources, seek diverse perspectives and provide context." In an age of rampant misinformation and AI-driven doubts, she emphasized the media's duty to act as a "watchdog with social responsibility, "fostering informed communities through credible stories. She even called out Big Tech for exploiting journalistic content without consent or compensation, urging ethical AI adoption and partnerships that enhance reliability. It's a vision of journalism as a beacon in our "complex, uncertain and fast-changing world" – one that demands public trust through unwavering editorial standards.
Heartened by this reaffirmation, I fired off an email to Tam on September 28, 2025, copying several editors from SCMP and outlets in Taiwan and Hong Kong. As a longtime subscriber and advocate for neurodiversity in education, I wanted to celebrate the message while gently highlighting a personal disconnect.
Nearly a year earlier, on December 15, 2024, I'd read an SCMP article titled Zhuyin sounds key to children learning Mandarin as a second language. It explored phonetic tools like Zhuyin (Bopomofo) and Hanyu Pinyin for young learners tackling Mandarin as a second language – a topic close to my heart, given my work on dyslexia in multilingual settings.
The piece quoted an expert wisely noting, "there is no perfect method, but there is always a perfect combination" of these systems tailored to the child. Intrigued yet wary – drawing from dyslexia research on cognitive overload in mixed phonetic systems – I emailed the SCMP newsroom seeking clarification: What exact combination was being endorsed, and how did it align with evidence on learning disabilities? An automated acknowledgment arrived (ID: 128456), promising review by support staff. Days turned to weeks; silence followed. Undeterred, I poured my analysis into a detailed blog post on my site, Luqman's Dyslexia Blog, cross-referencing SCMP's own ethics guidelines on accuracy, balance, and freedom from bias. You can read it here, where I argued that blending Zhuyin and Pinyin risks exacerbating dyslexia-like challenges for vulnerable learners, labeling the article's implications as potential "disinformation."
In my September email to Tam, I wove this history into a constructive call: How does SCMP handle reader queries on niche topics like education and neurodiversity? In a world you describe as needing "accurate information" more than ever – especially amid AI-fueled skepticism – unanswered voices like mine erode the very trust your campaign seeks to build. Reader engagement isn't just a buzzword; it's the watchdog in action, turning passive consumers into active dialogue partners.
That was almost a month ago. No reply from Tam, no acknowledgment from the copied editors in Hong Kong or Taiwan. In a region where media freedom faces real pressures, this isn't just oversight – it's a missed opportunity to embody the integrity SCMP preaches. How can a newsroom champion "diverse perspectives" while ignoring a subscriber's evidence-based concern? How does it "foster communities" when queries on child education – a cornerstone of societal well-being – vanish into the void? The newsletter decries AI platforms recycling content without credit; yet here, a reader's intellectual labor (my blog, my research) goes unengaged, unamplified, unpaid in kind.
Don't get me wrong: I admire SCMP's reporting on China, Hong Kong's challenges, and global shifts. Its mission to "elevate thought and lead conversation" is why I subscribe. But words without deeds ring hollow, especially on World News Day. This silence doesn't just disappoint; it underscores the very doubts Tam laments – that consumers question information's validity when institutions fall short on responsiveness.
To my fellow advocates for dyslexia awareness and ethical language education: Let's keep pushing. True journalism thrives on scrutiny, from all angles. And to SCMP: I'm still here, still reading, still hoping. A simple reply could bridge this gap – proving that your commitment to truth extends beyond newsletters to the readers who fuel your mission.
My email was copied to editor@thestandard.com.hk,
tom@hongkongfp.com,letterstt@gmail.com,service@chinatimes.com.tw, editor@globaltimes.com.cn,
mpmeditor@mingpao.com
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