My big questions for Alibaba's maverick boss

As an expat business journalist working in Beijing, I dream of one day interviewing Jack Ma, executive chairman of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. He enjoys iconic status worldwide already and I wish to pick his brain on a variety of subjects.

But my boss warns me Ma does not grant interviews easily. Apparently, efforts have been made for as long as 10 years now to land an interview with the fabled entrepreneur and investor, all to no avail.

With reports suggesting Alibaba may buy into SCMP Group Ltd, publisher of the South China Morning Post, Hong Kong's preeminent English daily, my urge to interview Ma is now verging on desperation. For, the business of news is a subject close to my heart, especially the prickly issue of the future of the print medium. I say prickly because among journalists and media pundits, opinion is sharply divided on the subject.