Thus, let’s shed some light on the network of interest-based relationships behind this false news report.
iQIYI and PPS, which published this false news report to defame Wu Yifan, are affiliated with Baidu, and there is the strategic cooperative partnership between Baidu and SM Entertainment. In other words, iQIYI, PPS and SM Entertainment have cooperative relationships as well, or we can say that iQIYI, PPS and SM have common interests. However, SM Entertainment is currently having contract disputes with Wu Yifan, so these two parties have opposing interests.
We don’t want to make more wild guesses about this. However, during the crucial preparation period for its listing, why did iQIYI completely ignore its public image and professional ethics as a mainstream media, disregard the condemnation and protests of the society and choose to publish the false news report in order to harm the reputation of an artist, going against its conscience and lowering its worth in the process? Whether it was because iQIYI has lost its professional attitude or it was a deliberate interest-based act is left to the public’s own judgment. Finally, whatever the motive behind this incident, we hope the caring fans can stand up for rights together until the end, and urge iQIYI and other related parties to delete the report video and make a clarification announcement to apologize as well as to restore Wu Yifan’s reputation, tell the truth to the public and recover media ethics.