Joseph Leung starts new media outlet after retiring from Sing Tao in San Francisco

Joseph Leung, a longtime figure at Sing Tao Daily's US Western edition, has retired from the newspaper and started a new media outlet, Mission Local reported. Leung's departure surprised many in the Bay Area's Chinese community, where he was well known.

San Francisco's Chinese population has grown significantly, becoming an influential voting bloc, and the city may elect its first Chinese-American congressional representative this year. However, the number of Chinese-language news outlets and their original reporting have declined sharply in recent years.

Sing Tao Daily, once the largest Chinese-language newspaper in San Francisco, has reduced its local editorial staff from about 13 reporters in the early 2000s to just three today, including investigative reporters, according to Leung.

Despite these changes, Leung expressed confidence that the Chinese community will maintain its political influence and said he intends to fill the gap left by shrinking Chinese-language journalism.

Leung's retirement and new venture have drawn significant attention, including hundreds of thousands of views on videos speculating about his exit, indicating his lasting impact on the local Chinese media landscape.