《大公报》在天津创刊
2009-02

清光绪二十八年五月十二日 (1902年6月17 日),天津《大公报》创刊。该报是中国创刊较 早、报龄最长的报纸,距今已经107年了,仍在 香港继续出刊。这在中国报界是极为鲜有的。
《大公报》是在法国公使鲍渥赞助下,经北 京总主教批准,由天主教会出资创办的。办报方 针最初是听命于法国领事馆和天主教会。并由天 主教会推荐英华为负责人。
英华(1866～1926),字敛之。满洲正红旗 人,天主教徒。幼年家贫,出身寒微,自学博 文,稍通法文。曾任法国驻云南蒙自领事馆的雇 员。辞职后,正值求职不得,适逢《大公报》创 办。英敛之任总理、撰述、编辑诸职,总揽言论 和经营大权。
《大公报》馆址,初设在法租界狄总领事路 法国工部局对过(今哈尔滨道); 光绪三十二年 (1906),迁至日租界旭街(今和平路169号四面 钟对过永真眼镜店); 后又迁至哈尔滨道西头靠近 南京路的地方(后来为京剧二团)。《大公报》 创刊当天,就发行了3800份, 3个月后发行量高达5000 份,一时间成为华北地区人 们争相购阅的报纸。
《大公报》有自己的印 刷厂,除了印报纸以外,还 承印中西书籍,自己也出版 和经销图书。报纸创刊不久, 就连续在报上刊登上海、北京 等地刚出版的新书广告,并由报馆代售。这就招 引了社会上大批书刊委托大公报馆销售。这样既 收到了经济效益,也宣传了报馆,赢得了读者。 从创刊到解放前夕,《大公报》共出版图书100余 种。如《华英音韵》、《字典集成》、《英华字 典》,等等。
光绪三十二年(1906)6月27日,英敛之借鉴 在日本访问学习的办报经验,联络了几个天津新 闻界人士,在《大公报》上发表了《告天津各大 报主笔书》,倡议召开天津各报发行人和主笔协 作会议及成立“报界俱乐部” ,为天津新闻工作 者提供交流、研究和欢娱的活动场所。7月1日, 第一次协作会议在日租界旭街芙蓉馆正式召开, 并在会议上成立了天津报界俱乐部。7月29日,又 在天津李公祠举行了第二次集会。两次会议都由 英敛之主持,在津出版的《大公报》、《中外实 报》、《北洋日报》等10家报纸的20多位代表, 出席了会议。会上决定,此后每月召开一次会 议,由参加协作的报馆轮流召开。但是,由于各 报馆隶属不同的政治力量,难 以同谋,协作会议只能 是不了了之。
1916年9月,《大 公报》售给王郅隆; 1926年9月,吴鼎昌、 胡政之、张季鸾3人合 作,以 “新记公司” 名 义接办《大公报》。

·《大公报》等报报头

The Ta Kung Pao Newspaper was founded in Tianjin on June 17,1902. It is the longest newspaper in China with 105 years of history. Today it continues to publish in Hong Kong,which is rare in China.
The newspaper was sponsored by the French Ambassador,and invested and approved by the Beijing Bishop. It followed the orders from the French Embassy and the Catholic Church. Ying Hua was the chief-editor recommended by the Catholic Church.
Ying Hua (1866～1926),Manchu ethnic,and a Catholic,had another name as Lianzhi. His family was poor during his childhood. He learned by himself and knew a little French. When he resigned his job as an employee of the French Consulate at Mengzi of Yunnan, Ta Kung Pao was founded. He was appointed as the manager,reporter and editor of the newspaper in charge of the operation.
The newspaper was located opposite to the French Industrial Bureau at Consulate-General Road (now Harbin Road) in the French concession. In 1906,it moved to Xujie in the Japanese concession,and then moved to Nanjing Road near the west of Harbin Road. On the first day of its operation,Ta Kung Pao published 3800 copies and three months later,5000 copies. It became the most popular newspaper in North China.
The newspaper had its own publishing house. Besides newspapers,it printed,published and sold books. After its operation,it published advertisements of new books for Shanghai and Beijing. It also sold books for them,which attracted many books to be sold by Ta Kung Pao. This method gained commission,promoted the newspaper,and won readers. From its launch to the time of the liberation,the newspaper published about 100 books such as Huaying Rhythm,General Dictionary and Yinghua Dictionary.
On June 27,1906,Ying Lianzhi learned from Japan to set up Newsman Association with the support from several elites of newspaper in Tianjin after publishing "A Letter to Tianjin Chief Editors" in Ta Kung Pao. The association was set for Tianjin journalists to exchange ideas and have fun. On July 1,the first collaboration meeting was held at Furong restaurant in the Japanese concession. At the meeting,the association was established. On July 29,the second meeting was held at Ligongci in Tianjin. Both meetings were chaired by Ying Lianzhi. About 20 representatives from 10 newspapers including Ta Kung Pao,China and Overseas Newspaper, Northern Daily attended the meeting. It also decided to hold monthly meetings hosted by each newspaper. However,the newspapers served different political powers,so the monthly meeting was aborted.
In September,1916,the Ta Kung Pao was sold to Wang Zhilong. In September,Wu Dingchang,Hu Zhengzhi and Zhang Jiluan cooperated to take over the Ta Kung Pao in the name of Xinji Company.

大公报社旧址