Newsstands should not be closed by authorities

Newsstands are disappearing at high speed with many of them being shut down by authorities despite still attracting a lot of customers. A column in People’s Daily expresses hope that authorities will leave their fate for the market to decide. Excerpts:

Have you noticed that newsstands are disappearing? According to an official survey, from 2008 to the end of 2012, more than 10,000 newsstands closed nationwide. Urban authorities used to complain they "damage city image" as well as of the inconvenience of "administrating" them; now they claim newspapers and magazines no longer appeal to readers.

Does that make sense? True, new media such as tablets and smartphones are attracting more viewers, but newsstands are still a choice for a considerable number of residents. Many senior citizens have a long habit of getting a copy of a newspaper after doing morning exercise, while low-income groups also resort to the cheaper means of reading.

The influence of newsstands on people's reading habits is not able to be ignored. An investigation in Zhengzhou, Henan province, found that sales of newspaper and magazines dropped by 80 percent after many newsstands were closed. At a time when the reading rate is still quite low, it is not a smart move to close newsstands.

Besides, a newsstand today is no longer a stall that sells newspapers only, but increasingly more newsstands offer services such as cellphone recharging and electricity and water fee payment, which are convenient for residents. Newsstands also mean jobs — the over 30,000 newsstands nationwide offer an estimated 60,000 job vacancies, which are very important for venerable groups such as laid-off workers.

Even if what some city authorities claim is true, they can let the market decide the fate of newsstands. Newsstands that no longer appeal to readers will be closed by the invisible hand of market. Maybe authorities need to regulate newsstands, but it is unnecessary for them to shut down newsstands that are still running well.