Investors matter. Our goal is providing you with news you need

One Thursday in early March, I received a call from a seasoned communications professional at one of the world's largest corporations. She cut right to the chase: "Hey, Leo, do you know of a reliable source of English-language business news on China, particularly Shanghai?"

This caught me off guard, and I replied, "Well, there are plenty of sources out there, you know, the usual suspects, those big names..."

"I understand," she replied, "but I'm after something more tailored to our needs: a platform that delivers a steady flow of concise news, solid facts and data in a format that's easily comprehensible for global executives. Given Shanghai's role, there must be something of that sort available."

While I couldn't come up with an immediate answer, I had an insight into what she, and perhaps the broader global corporate community in China, truly requires. She had told me she was attempting to piece together a briefing dossier for her global chief executive, who was scheduled to participate in a high-level economic forum in Beijing, followed by whirlwind meetings with clients and stakeholders in Shanghai.

I was more than willing to lend a hand, jotting down a few key insights, but it became evident that gathering all the pertinent information she needed would require some serious legwork, much of it sourced from Chinese-language news platforms.

It dawned on me that the realm of English-language business news could certainly use a breath of fresh air.

So, when an ex-colleague from Shanghai Daily — the news outlet where I cut my teeth and spent a decade and a half before venturing into my own communications consultancy — floated the idea of launching a news hub tailored for multinational corporations, I enthusiastically replied, “Absolutely! Let’s just get the news out.”

To put it simple, Shanghai is the ideal location for this initiative, with the highest concentration of multinational regional headquarters and research and development centers in China.

These businesses crave firsthand insights into the city's dynamics, its industries and the overarching economy — information they can integrate into global strategies and team updates.

This represents a great opportunity to shed light on the city in a transparent manner, fostering a deeper understanding among the global business community. It's about presenting information in a clear, concise manner, grounded in facts, figures and astute anecdotes.

Delivering business news is a serious undertaking, given the internationally minded nature of the audience, whose interests are usually global. The crux lies in providing precisely what they need, precisely when they need it most.

This sets a high bar for the forthcoming news platform MagHub, as our colleagues at Shanghai Daily have chosen to name it. It's short for magic, magnetic and magnolia, Shanghai's city flower. The business community anticipates comprehensive stories covering a myriad of topics, crafted in a way accessible to the lay person yet nuanced enough for industry professionals.

Accuracy and persuasiveness in presentation are also paramount, coupled with meticulous attention to detail concerning stakeholders within the business community.

While this endeavor demands significant effort, the launch of MagHub signifies a crucial first step. As Shanghai aims to solidify its standing as a premier investment destination in China, MagHub stands as a testament to this ambition. So we will get the ball rolling and showcase the city to the world with reporting of the highest standard.

The author, formerly with Shanghai Daily, is an adjunct research fellow at the Center for Global Public Opinion of China, Shanghai International Studies University, and founding partner of 3am Consulting, a specialist in global communications.