LOS ANGELES -- It was a remarkably sad coincidence that within the span of a few days, two of the world's more influential newspaper figures died.
What is even more remarkable is that even though the two newspapers over which they famously presided could not have been more different, both were rightly considered pioneers and innovators.
From 1986 until 1993, Chen Li was editor in chief of China Daily. Western media ideologues would dispute whether China's largest-circulation English language daily was then, or even today, a true newspaper. As with all the country's media institutions, the Chinese government hovers over it like an Orwellian Big Brother, even having the final say on key editorial appointments and story placements.