Submitted By: Woon Lam (Justine) Wong

Here is an interesting article front page article from the Wall Street Journal titled, “News Magnate Baits Beijing By Pairing Politics and Sex “.

The media is sometimes regarded as the Fourth Estate, which indirectly influences public opinion and the three branches of a democratic government: the Executive, the Legislative, and the Judicial.

But in China, no such system exists. There is no separation of powers within the central government, and the media is a tool for propaganda. Yet, in Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China, freedom of press is highly advocated, and some publications even dare to challenge the Chinese government. The existence of free voices in Hong Kong creates tension for the Chinese government. The article I read talks about some interesting facts regarding this tension.

Jimmy Lai owned a company called Next Media Ltd., which publications (including daily newspaper and magazines) often bring up sensitive issues using shocking images. In 2003, Apple Daily successfully stoked anti-government rallies in Hong Kong, as people are unhappy with the leadership in the government. I was in Hong Kong at that time, and although I did not participate in the protest, I wore a black shirt to express my resentment. Many participated in the Hong Kong protest, which, unknown to me, was started by a newspaper.

The Chinese government obviously do not like the freedom of speech in Hong Kong. Some journalists feel the pressure and practice “self-censorship”, in order to gain favor with the Chinese government and advertisers. In contrast, some publications continue to utilize the freedom of press, even to the extreme, like what Apple Daily did. During our China trip, it would be interesting to compare a newspaper from mainland China with one from Hong Kong. You should be able to tell the difference merely by the images.

Personally, I do not like Apple Daily as it is very sensational and outrageous, but I also believe that journalists should not avoid criticizing the government when it is appropriate. How should the media strike a balance between abusing and practicing the press’ freedoms? In a time when the internet dominates the media, would it be possible for the media to serve as a Fourth Estate in China one day? Do you think the journalists from other countries will encounter problems when reporting news in China (during Olympics)?