Japanese takeover clouds FT's editorial independence

The editorial integrity of Financial Times has been a concern since July 23, 2015, when Nihon Keizai Shimbun announced its acquisition of the more than 125-year-old British newspaper, ending Pearson Group's six-decade-long ownership. Amid the shockwaves the news of the acquisition sent across international media circles, some called it the "joining of hands between two press barons" while others said it was a "long-contrived move".

Questions were raised immediately about the type of changes that would take place in the newspaper - whether it would maintain its editorial independence or take a more critical stance toward China.

Comparisons between the Financial Times' editorial contents in the months before and after the acquisition indicate that there has been no obvious change in its editorial guidelines on China-related issues so far. The English-language website of the newspaper had about 1,500 stories on China in half a year before the acquisition, which increased to about 2,100 in the six months after the acquisition, up 38 percent. That indicates it has been paying more attention to China than it did before the takeover.