Journalism Tension Between Hong Kong and China
October 27th, 2007
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)?
Entry Filed under: Pre-Departure, Beijing, China
4 Comments Add your own
1. Dena Malloy | October 30th, 2007 at 8:33 am
In keeping with the spirit of the article, let he who is without sins cast the first stone. I applaud China (or at least Hong Kong) for having a news magazine that isn’t afraid to stand up to the government. I think the US could learn from this. Before the Iraq war, anyone that dared say the war was a bad idea or oppose it in any was called a traitor or pro-terrorist. Until recently, if you wanted to end the war, you were somehow against the troops. I’m sure that newspapers in mainland China will be tightly regulated up to and during the Olympics, but it is no different than the way certain issues are controlled (if not officially) here in the US.
2. Andrew Steen | November 1st, 2007 at 4:35 pm
Good point Dena, the press here isn’t completely free to say whatever they feel. They need to stay in business, so they have to maintain a certain level of dignity and appropriateness.
Hi Justine. I didn’t realize Hong Kong was a little bubble of defiance. Q: Why will the Olympics cause an increase in press regulation?
3. Catriona Banks-Orosco | November 1st, 2007 at 10:19 pm
It is easy to take for granted the importance of freedom of speech. The story of Mr. Lai is a reminder of the importance of standing up and speaking out for what one believes in. The experience of having been born to wealthy parents, then “stripped of the (family’s) assets” when the communist party took hold in China, only to end up too poor to attend school at age 9 is bound to leave a strong impression.
Mr. Lai works extremely hard for his success. After the Tiananmen Square protest and massacre, Mr. Lai saw a business opportunity that could make a social impact. He began by “hoisting banners” protesting China at his clothing stores. He wanted to participate in opening China up to democracy. Information would need to be delivered to let people know they have a choice. This is central to creating change. Combining political coverage with consumer news and celebrity stories drove sales of his new magazine, Next Weekly. The magazine successfully exposed government cover-ups and corruption, leading many journalists to worry that China will crackdown on the freedom of the press enjoyed in Hong Kong. Political exposés, however, have been intertwined with typical US paparazzi fare. “Readers gobble up Apple Daily, Hong Kong’s No. 2 newspaper by readership, and Mr. Lai’s three top-selling magazines — even as many decry the paparazzi-style journalism he has introduced to the Chinese-speaking world.”
The invasion of personal space of celebrities may have a greater negative impact on freedom of the press than the political statements Mr. Lai’s magazines have made. Jackie Chan led a protest calling for a law restricting paparazzi.
Sensationalism drives sales in US supermarket tabloids. Mr. Lai has used the same approach to boost sales in Hong Kong. Some see him as “both a devil and a saint.” In true entrepreneurial spirit, Mr. Lai claims “whatever the audience wants, that’s what we’ll give them.” According to Mr. Lai, “Just because we promote democracy doesn’t mean we have to be puritan… Folding political coverage inside a titillating package is the cross I have to carry… We’re the bad boys on the block, we’re the opposition media. Who cares what you write if nobody reads it?”
Mr. Lai has his work cut out for him. Advertising sales have dropped substantially and in a recent poll the percentage of university students that “feel the Hong Kong news media overstretch and “abuse” press freedoms has risen from 50% to 68%.
4. Lonnie | November 2nd, 2007 at 10:00 am
Daily Apple is a rag…
It reprinted a negative review I did on Macau Casinos, word for word without consent, and then made me out to be a compulsive gambler because i visited so many to research the story….sigh…
There have been huge battles here of late on freedom of speech and obscenity issues in HK:
http://onemanbandwidth.com/wordpress/?p=551
onemanbandwidth.com/wordpress/category/homg-kong-stars
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