Shao observed that there were numerous problems with the newspapers at his time. The first and most prominent problem is a biased point of view caused by pressure from the authorities and limited sources. During the years 1910 to 1925 in particular, many Chinese newspapers fell under the influence of different parties. For instance, "Beijing Shi Bao" (北京時報) was controlled by Duan Qirui (段祺瑞), a powerful warlord; "Huang Bao", on the other hand, was under the control of Zhang Zongchang (張宗昌), another warlord, while "Shun Tian Shi Bao" was run by the Japanese and "Chen Bao" under the direct control of Yan Jiu Xi, yet another warlord. In view of this, Shao attempted to change the situation by stating that journalists should report truthfully and practice the discipline of verification. He put this principle into practice when working for Shenbao.