Why the China Daily is better than Global Times

Global Times is the new kid on the block for state-run English-language media in China, a daily newspaper that was founded 6 or 8 months ago.  It's aiming to be a bit more foreigner-credible than its elder sibling, China Daily: the propagandising is less relentless, the critical voice - just occasionally - given freer rein.   But the big difference between the two papers, I've just realised, is that China Daily is bigger.  Not quite a full broadsheet size, I don't think (gawd, it's so long since I've seen a proper newspaper, I can hardly remember), but getting on for it.  [I don't know when this change came about.  I'm pretty sure China Daily was a tabloid when I first moved here.  I suppose that shows how little attention I usually pay to it!]  Global Times, for all its more 'adventurous' reporting and commentary, is condemned to a tabloid format - no doubt as a shaming mark of its juniority (not a word, but ought to be).     When you're packing, the larger format is a godsend.   Unfortunately, I had far more copies of the titchy Global Times lying around the place....