One of my favorite things in life is reading the morning paper with a cup of coffee. I know I could get the paper digitally or read articles for free through the HCPL website, but there's just something about the soothing sounds of the folding pages as I sip my coffee that makes me happy. 
My paper of choice is the Houston Chronicle. While this isn't a commercial for our local writers, they are certainly capable. Like The Wall Street Journal or Reuters, The Houston Chronicle has earned a "Center" bias rating from AllSides and a good rating of reliability and unbiased reporting from Ad Fontes Media.
This is why I was surprised to start finding the occasional copy of China Daily newspaper folded up inside the same protective plastic sleeve as my Houston Chronicle. At first, I thought it was just a mistake. I live in a diverse neighborhood, and perhaps the delivery person was getting my paper mixed up with someone else's order, but I love a freebie so I happily turned to the new China Daily section after finishing the rest of the paper. Now my eyesight isn't what it once was, but the noticeably smaller font of the China Daily stuck out like a sore thumb compared to the very readable Houston Chronicle. Why was the font smaller? What were they trying to hide? Is this a conspiracy? With my curiosity piqued, I started to do a little research, and while the print might be small, this is a BIG story.
The Spread of China Daily in U.S. Newspapers
It turns out the appearance of the China Daily in my local paper might not be so random, and it isn’t just happening in Houston. In upwards of nine U.S. cities including New York City, Washington D.C. and Atlanta, the China Daily is printed locally and included with that city's paper. Furthermore, the introduction of the China Daily isn’t exactly a "new" news story either.
China Daily USA was launched in a few U.S. cities back in 2009 but didn’t make an appearance in Houston until 2011. The first issue of the China Daily included congratulatory letters from then-Governor Rick Perry, former President George H.W. Bush, and Houston Mayor Annise Parker. According to the China Daily General Manager Mei Zhou Preimesberger, at that time, the paper was not meant for the Chinese residents of Houston since there were already several sources for Chinese-language news. Instead, the China Daily was printed in English with the goal of offering coverage and in-depth analysis of developments and trends in China's economy and society. The target audience of the paper was international businesses and political leaders.
The China Daily continued to operate in several U.S. cities but ramped up its presence in 2015 prior to President Xi Jinping's first state visit to the United States. According to the China Daily, the reason for this push in its distribution was to enhance its global media presence and provide its viewpoint on international issues directly to American readers.
U.S. / China Relations and Propaganda
Now before we get too deep into the weeds of the U.S. / China relationship, let's remember a few major stories between 2015 and 2020. In addition to Trump's trade war, where he imposed tariffs on Chinese goods prompting retaliatory tariffs from China, there was the closure of the Chinese consulate in Houston and, of course, COVID-19, which originated in China. These events (along with many others) led the U.S. Department of Justice in 2020 to require China Daily to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).
The results of China Daily's 2020 FARA registration disclosed that it was fully owned by the Publicity Department of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and that between November 2016 and April 2020, China Daily spent over $11 million on newspaper inserts and advertising in the United States. Additionally, China Daily hired three different U.S.-based public relations firms to promote a favorable image of China and counter criticisms.
So, "Is the China Daily just propaganda for the Chinese government?" Well, at the very least, it is safe to say that it is "heavily influenced" by the Publicity Department of the CCP.
The China Daily's Legal Standing
Before you grab your pitchforks and torches and assemble the mob, we need to keep in mind that China Daily hasn't broken any laws and it must be said that the United States also spends a substantial amount of money to tell our story to China. For example, the U.S. currently broadcasts the radio program Voice of America (VOA) in both Cantonese and Mandarin all over China. According to the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which oversees VOA, their service reaches more than 40 million people in mainland China each week and the VOA is part of the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the government agency that oversees all non-military, U.S. international broadcasting. It is funded by the U.S. Congress. Again, the complexity of the relationship between the United States and China is staggering, but it should be discussed and studied so please check out some of the titles I have listed below.
But let's get back to my local paper and why I'm squinting to read a copy of China Daily. 
The Houston Chronicle's Dilemma
At the end of the day, the Houston Chronicle is just a business trying to operate in very difficult times. Their business model relies on income from ad sales and subscriptions and given that subscriptions have been falling substantially for local papers all over America, I'm sure they find themselves doing business with people who are not their first choice just to stay afloat and provide a quality product.
The Houston Chronicle must continually navigate a fine line between remaining unbiased and providing a platform for people or organizations with specific agendas that don’t align with the paper’s views or, in some cases, even facts.
Who are we to tell the Houston Chronicle how they should run their business? The newspaper must accept advertising dollars from all sorts of businesses to stay afloat. Occasionally, they'll even print full-page open letters or infotainment that contradicts their own editorial opinions. For instance, recently, the Houston Chronicle endorsed Lina Hidalgo in her 2022 bid for County Judge, and later, they printed a full-page letter from Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale questioning the legitimacy of the election and Judge Hidalgo's qualifications.
I'm sure the Houston Chronicle and all newspapers would love to exist on subscription fees alone, but the nature of the business requires them to sell ads or include circulars that might call its impartiality and journalistic integrity into question. It's the same thing as watching a news report on TV about predatory lenders and then the program cutting to a commercial for a shady debt consolidation service.
It Is Up to All of Us to be Active and Critical Consumers of Media
Despite the difficulties, we as readers need to be discerning. We need to be reading opposing viewpoints and expose ourselves to opinions other than our own.
I thought about printing some story headlines from China Daily to point out how they might be biased or different from U.S. coverage of similar events, but there is no way I could do that without interjecting at least a little of my own opinion on the subject - and that's the point. Here is a link to China Daily. I suggest you find a story there and then compare it to another source if you want to check for bias. If you're not sure about where to look for good sources, try your closest HCPL library, we would love to help you find all sorts of information so you can make your own informed opinion without someone else pushing an agenda on you.
Final Thoughts
From television to newspapers to social media, we are constantly fed information that is designed to sway our opinion or get us to buy something. We need to stay vigilant in checking the sources, and most importantly, we need to find the facts. Now more than ever, the onslaught of misinformation is like a Fire Zone Blitz headed straight for you. It's time to get a helmet and get in the game! Or, in my case, I need to get some "cheaters" so I can read the fine print.
NOTE: we contacted the Houston Chronicle for comment but did not receive a response before posting this blog.
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