Mark Clifford
Encyclopedia
Mark L. Clifford is an author and former journalist who worked for BusinessWeek
, the Far Eastern Economic Review
, and Forbes
. He was the publisher and editor-in-chief of The Standard
newspaper in Hong Kong from January 2004 to February 2006, and the Editor-in-Chief the South China Morning Post
, its larger rival, from 3 February 2006 to 1 April 2007. Since May 2007, Clifford is the Executive Director of the Asia Business Council
.
and other business publications in New York City during the 1980s. His career in Asia began in 1987 in Seoul at the Far Eastern Economic Review
. He held a number of positions with that magazine, including Business Editor, before leaving to join BusinessWeek
in 1995 as a Regional Correspondent and later became Asia Regional Editor. Along with a BusinessWeek team, he won the Morton Frank award for Best Business Reporting from Abroad (Magazine) from the Overseas Press Club for coverage of the 1997 Asian financial crisis. and the 'Excellence in Reporting on the Environment' award from the Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA). From January 2004 until his appointment to head the SCMP, Clifford served as publisher and editor-in-chief of The Standard, another Hong Kong English-language daily newspaper. He joined the South China Morning Post in February 2006.
Clifford is a graduate of the University of California Berkeley (1980). He was a Walter Bagehot Fellow at Columbia University (1986-87).
There had already been some disquiet over the sacking in October of a junior photographer (since rehired) over a mis-captioned photograph, which provoked the eventual departure of Clifford's lieutenant and the paper's business editor, Stuart Jackson. In January 2007, further high-level departures were announced at the paper.
The newspaper management credited him for his "key role in changes that have both strengthened and improved editorial operations" and for being "the driving force behind the SCMP's forthcoming re-design" but denied his departure was due to the recent turbulence. Both the South China Morning Post and the Standard won numerous awards for news coverage, photography and design during Clifford's tenure.
in May 2007 as its Executive Director, since which time he has co-authored two books, contributed chapters to two others. He has contributed columns and reviews for publications including TIME
, the Hong Kong Economic Journal
, and China's Caixin.
BusinessWeek
Bloomberg Businessweek, commonly and formerly known as BusinessWeek, is a weekly business magazine published by Bloomberg L.P. It is currently headquartered in New York City.- History :...
, the Far Eastern Economic Review
Far Eastern Economic Review
The Far Eastern Economic Review was an English language Asian news magazine started in 1946. It printed its final issue in December 2009. The Hong Kong-based business magazine was originally published weekly...
, and Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
. He was the publisher and editor-in-chief of The Standard
The Standard
The Standard is an English free newspaper of Hong Kong with a daily circulation of 231,018. It was called the Hong Kong Standard and changed to HKiMail during the Internet boom, but it changed back to The Standard in 2001....
newspaper in Hong Kong from January 2004 to February 2006, and the Editor-in-Chief the South China Morning Post
South China Morning Post
The South China Morning Post , together with its Sunday edition, the Sunday Morning Post, is an English-language Hong Kong newspaper, published by the SCMP Group with a circulation of 104,000....
, its larger rival, from 3 February 2006 to 1 April 2007. Since May 2007, Clifford is the Executive Director of the Asia Business Council
Asia Business Council
The Asia Business Council was established in Hong Kong in 2002, and is an independent organization of top executives, typically from leading Asian companies or multinational corporations with significant Asian operations, who share an interest in the policies needed to ensure the continued economic...
.
Biography
Clifford is an American author and former journalist who has lived in Asia since 1987. Clifford worked at ForbesForbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
and other business publications in New York City during the 1980s. His career in Asia began in 1987 in Seoul at the Far Eastern Economic Review
Far Eastern Economic Review
The Far Eastern Economic Review was an English language Asian news magazine started in 1946. It printed its final issue in December 2009. The Hong Kong-based business magazine was originally published weekly...
. He held a number of positions with that magazine, including Business Editor, before leaving to join BusinessWeek
BusinessWeek
Bloomberg Businessweek, commonly and formerly known as BusinessWeek, is a weekly business magazine published by Bloomberg L.P. It is currently headquartered in New York City.- History :...
in 1995 as a Regional Correspondent and later became Asia Regional Editor. Along with a BusinessWeek team, he won the Morton Frank award for Best Business Reporting from Abroad (Magazine) from the Overseas Press Club for coverage of the 1997 Asian financial crisis. and the 'Excellence in Reporting on the Environment' award from the Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA). From January 2004 until his appointment to head the SCMP, Clifford served as publisher and editor-in-chief of The Standard, another Hong Kong English-language daily newspaper. He joined the South China Morning Post in February 2006.
Clifford is a graduate of the University of California Berkeley (1980). He was a Walter Bagehot Fellow at Columbia University (1986-87).
South China Morning Post
Clifford generated controversy early in his tenure at the South China Morning Post after a November 2006 incident in which he summarily dismissed chief articles editor Trevor Willison and articles editor Paul Ruffini for what he believed to be a vulgar joke: the two had apparently minor roles in the creation of a "leaving page" for a departing colleague. Over 100 of the approximately 300 editorial staff signed a petition following the incident, which challenged the grounds for dismissal, and demanded reinstatement of the sacked duo.There had already been some disquiet over the sacking in October of a junior photographer (since rehired) over a mis-captioned photograph, which provoked the eventual departure of Clifford's lieutenant and the paper's business editor, Stuart Jackson. In January 2007, further high-level departures were announced at the paper.
The newspaper management credited him for his "key role in changes that have both strengthened and improved editorial operations" and for being "the driving force behind the SCMP's forthcoming re-design" but denied his departure was due to the recent turbulence. Both the South China Morning Post and the Standard won numerous awards for news coverage, photography and design during Clifford's tenure.
Asia Business Council
Clifford joined the Asia Business CouncilAsia Business Council
The Asia Business Council was established in Hong Kong in 2002, and is an independent organization of top executives, typically from leading Asian companies or multinational corporations with significant Asian operations, who share an interest in the policies needed to ensure the continued economic...
in May 2007 as its Executive Director, since which time he has co-authored two books, contributed chapters to two others. He has contributed columns and reviews for publications including TIME
Time
Time is a part of the measuring system used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify rates of change such as the motions of objects....
, the Hong Kong Economic Journal
Hong Kong Economic Journal
The Hong Kong Economic Journal is a Chinese language daily newspaper published in Hong Kong by the Shun Po Co., Ltd. Available in both Hong Kong and Macau, the newspaper mainly focuses on economic news and other related issues...
, and China's Caixin.
Author
- Troubled Tiger: Businessmen, Bureaucrats, and Generals in South Korea (ISBN 0765601400)
Co-author
- Through the Eyes of Tiger Cubs: Views of Asia's Next Generation (ISBN 9781118094631), 2012
- Building Energy Efficiency: Why Green Buildings Are Key to Asia's Future (ISBN 9889956519), 2007
- China and the WTO: Changing China, Changing World Trade (ISBN 0470820616), 2002, with former World Trade OrganizationWorld Trade OrganizationThe World Trade Organization is an organization that intends to supervise and liberalize international trade. The organization officially commenced on January 1, 1995 under the Marrakech Agreement, replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade , which commenced in 1948...
Director-General Supachai PanitchpakdiSupachai PanitchpakdiSupachai Panitchpakdi is the Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development . Prior to this, he was the Director-General of the World Trade Organization from September 1, 2002 to September 1, 2005...
. - Meltdown: Asia's Spectacular Boom and Devastating Bust (ISBN 0735201412) 1999