Economist Launches Dedicated Asia Facebook Page

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of start of The Economist’s Asia section, The Economist has just launched a dedicated Asian Facebook page.

‘The Economist, Asia’ Facebook page provides news, current affairs and insights from The Economist into events shaping the Asia-Pacific region, as well as exclusive subscription offers and promotions from The Economist Group in Asia.

The new platform not only allows the Facebook community to discuss, debate, comment and share posts on The Economist’s articles on Asian affairs and other hot topics in the region, but it also acts as an online database for fans to search and explore useful and interesting facts about Asia’s history as covered by The Economist over the past 25 years.

The Economist has been committed to documenting and analysing Asia's political, business and cultural landscape over the past quarter of a century.

“It has been an exciting journey for The Economist as it has witnessed and reported on the significant news events that have not only shaped the region, but the entire world,” Editor-in-Chief of The Economist, John Micklethwait, said.

More recently The Economist’s Asia section has expanded and launched a column in the newspaper (magazine), as well as an online blog, both called Banyan, to cover affairs in the region.

“When The Economist launched its Asia section on July 18th 1987, we said we thought Asia was ‘the best thing to happen to the world since America’,” John Micklethwait said.

“We justified treating what we called a ‘geographical accident’ as a separate section for two reasons: Asia’s embrace of markets and open trade and stirrings of democracy across the region,” he said.

“Now global economic strains have put in doubt the region’s continued stellar growth, while in many Asian countries the drive for economic reform has stalled.

“Asia’s path, impressive to date, will not be smooth. But our coverage of the region will only increase. We hope that our readership in Asia, which every day becomes more attuned to events around the world, will also continue to increase.”

To kick off The Economist, Asia Facebook page, The Economist is asking fans to vote for the best Asia cover page published over the past 25 years.  A winner, selected from those who vote, will be drawn and awarded with a specially-framed picture of the selected best cover.

Other features of the Facebook page include a selection of cartoons from the Asia section by The Economist’s favourite editorial cartoonist, Kevin Kallaugher (Kal), and a timeline of significant events and milestones from the region, including The Economist's coverage of these events.

The Economist reaches over 4.8 million people through all of its social media platforms, including more than two million individuals on Twitter and over one million users each on Facebook and Google Plus.

(Meanwhile The Economist Group last month announced a record operating profit of £67.3 million ($A101.56 million) for the full year ending March 31 - up six per cent on the previous year. Circulation for The Economist hit record highs of 1.6 million in March this year - made up of 1.5 million in print and 123,000 in digital. Total circulation revenue, including print and digital, from The Economist and other Economist publications, rose six per cent, with digital circulation revenue more than doubling. Combined advertising revenue for print and digital platforms rose two per cent, with digital advertising rising 25 per cent).

Please visit The Economist, Asia Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/EconomistAsia