San Francisco – After three and a half decades at the helm of the city’s largest Chinese‑language newspaper, Joseph Leung announced his retirement effective this Friday. As publisher and editor‑in‑chief of Sing Tao Daily’s West Coast edition, Leung has overseen the paper’s evolution from a traditional broadsheet to a multimedia outlet that reaches monolingual Chinese‑speaking residents across the Bay Area.
A legacy of community connection
Leung began his career at Sing Tao in 1990, fresh from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Over the next 36 years he became the public face of the paper, which can be found in Chinatown grocery stores, mahjong parlors, mom‑and‑pop shops on the Westside, and countless Chinese homes and businesses throughout the region. His radio shows on Sing Tao Radio have long served as a trusted source for news on local, national, and international issues for monolingual Chinese speakers.
Sing Tao Daily, founded in Hong Kong in 1938 and launching its first overseas edition in San Francisco in 1963, has grown into a vital conduit for elected officials seeking to communicate with Chinese‑language voters. Former mayors Ed Lee, Mark Farrell and London Breed all wrote regular columns, using the paper to explain city policies and celebrate their achievements.
Political influence under Leung’s watch
Under Leung’s leadership, the paper’s endorsements have become some of the most coveted in city elections. Politicians routinely visited the Sing Tao newsroom to meet Leung, discuss policy, and cultivate relationships with the paper’s reporters and editors. The outlet’s reach into the Chinese‑speaking community has made it a key platform for local political discourse.
San Francisco has honored Leung twice with a “Joseph Leung Day.” Former Mayor Willie Brown proclaimed the day in 2002 to celebrate Leung’s promotion to editor‑in‑chief, and the Board of Supervisors repeated the honor in October 2025 for his broader contributions to news and community life.
Facing industry challenges
Like every legacy newspaper, Sing Tao has grappled with declining advertising revenue, shrinking subscriptions, and the shift to digital platforms. Many Chinese‑language publications have vanished, and those that remain often operate with reduced staff and limited salary competitiveness. Leung steered Sing Tao through these headwinds, expanding its online presence while preserving its print edition as one of the last surviving newspapers serving San Francisco’s Chinese community.
In a recent YouTube farewell video that has already amassed over 100,000 views, Leung expressed his intention to stay involved in serving the local Chinese community, though he did not specify how. Viewers flooded the comments with gratitude, praising his competence, political acumen, and strong sense of justice.
Looking ahead
Leung described Chinese‑language media in America as a bridge linking the government, mainstream society, and an often isolated monolingual population. He emphasized the responsibility of such outlets to ensure the community’s voice is heard while also helping residents understand the broader world.
As Sing Tao prepares for new leadership, the paper’s continued role as a cultural and informational lifeline for San Francisco’s Chinese‑speaking residents remains a testament to Leung’s decades of dedication.
Original reporting: Mission Local — read the source article.
