Newsweek bid premature move

Southern Daily Group's bid for Newsweek magazine was a good try. It was a premature effort that was doomed to fail. An early rejection by Newsweek's owner Washington Post Co was not entirely unexpected.

The Chinese partners involved, including B-raymedia, which owns several metro papers, must have known this beforehand. But no one knows whether they made the move simply to generate a buzz that would have boosted their reputation.

The US news media, which is keenly tracking the fate of the 77-year-old Newsweek since it was put up for sale in early May, has paid much attention to domestic buyers, and almost no attention at all to bidders from abroad. Few would like to think of Newsweek falling into the hands of a foreigner.