Hong Kong Media

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xv

   PDF

2. Introduction

   • Chi Kit Chan, Gary Tang, Francis L. F. Lee

   Pages 1-37

3. Press Freedom and Political Change

   • Chi Kit Chan, Gary Tang, Francis L. F. Lee

   Pages 39-77

4. The News Professionals

   • Chi Kit Chan, Gary Tang, Francis L. F. Lee

   Pages 79-117

5. The News Audience

   • Chi Kit Chan, Gary Tang, Francis L. F. Lee

   Pages 119-156

6. Transformation of Media, Social Values, and Hong Kong Identification

   • Chi Kit Chan, Gary Tang, Francis L. F. Lee

   Pages 157-194

7. Media and Social Mobilisation

   • Chi Kit Chan, Gary Tang, Francis L. F. Lee

   Pages 195-231

8. Final Remarks

   • Chi Kit Chan, Gary Tang, Francis L. F. Lee

   Pages 233-255

9. Back Matter

   Pages 257-288

   PDF

This book explores the challenges to news professionalism and media autonomy stemming from the state, market pressure, the digitalization of communication, and a polarized civil society in Hong Kong. China is tightening its control over post-handover Hong Kong, which includes press freedom. Harsh market competition, coupled with shifting readership from mainstream media to digital platforms, is squeezing the business viability of media organizations. The polarization of civil society in post-handover Hong Kong had degraded consensual values upon which news professionalism relies. Journalists have had to reorient news professionalism and media power in the midst of state-society tension, market pressure, and the shifting communication mode driven by digitalization. These are the key questions for Hong Kong media. This dynamic intervention will be of interest to journalists, scholars of civil society, and scholars of Asian politics.

• Hong Kong Media
• Digitalizing Communication
• Civil Society
• Professionalism
• China

“There has been much instant analysis of the dramatic decline in Hong Kong’s media freedom, but this is the authoritative account of the beginning of the end of territory’s experiment with liberal exceptionalism as an enclave within the People’s Republic of China. This is not parachute punditry or armchair analysis. Written by three Hongkong scholars immersed in the city’s media, movements and culture, the book is faithful to the micro dynamics of a complex city even as it contributes to global theoretical understanding of the relationship between media and politics in hybrid and authoritarian settings.” (Cherian George, author, Media and Power in Southeast Asia)

“Hong Kong media: Interaction between media, state and civil society by Chan Chi-kit, Gary Tang and Francis L.F. Lee is an outstanding achievement. It is a must read for everyone who is interested and cares about Hong Kong. The book highlights the central role that the media and media professional played in shaping and often creating, modern Hong Kong. The book provides a comprehensive and critical analysis of media in Hong Kong society by examining the interaction and mutual influences of the media system, the state, and civil society. Chan, Tang and Lee offer novel theoretical insights into media transformation in a hybrid regime. These are embedded in rich empirical data which range from the colonial era to the new realities of the national security law. It is the great level of detail and eye for nuances paired with sharp theoretical perspective which makes the publication such compelling reading. The examination the relationship between journalistic professionalism, press freedom and censorship in the ever changing political and economic structures reveals the complexity in which media professionals navigate. In Hong Kong radical transformation of media and its role in society through the digitalisation of communication was exacerbated by increasing control from China, creating a uniquely high-pressure environment for journalists. The critical and balanced analysis of these developments are aptly followed by a fascinating study of the ethos and attitudes of journalistic professions. Together these chapters allow for deeper reflections on the agency of media organisations and the journalistic corps. The transformative impact of the media is outlined in exceptional detail in the chapters on the emergence of a distinct Hong Kong identity and social mobilisation, confirming that the Hong Kong we know, or knew until recently, would have been impossible without the media. The engaging writing reflects the vibrancy of the Hong Kong media during times of “liberal exceptionalism”. The authors manage to capture this spirit of a bygone era in an outstanding fashion that is engaging and invites deep emotional reflections. Although Hong Kong media stops with the national security law which ends “Hong Kong as a liberal enclave under Chinese sovereignty”, theauthors highlight the value of continue studying the territory and its transformations. The conclusion raises questions about how citizens and journalists maintain their values and identity and make sense of the new increasing authoritarian structures. The book underlines the important contribution of a free and dynamic media in creating and protecting liberal societies. In times in which civil liberties and freedoms are under pressure globally this message cannot be overstated.” (Dr Malte Philipp Kaeding, University of Surrey, UK)

“Communication studies and media analysis are vital components of Hong Kong Studies. Any attempt to grapple with the social, cultural, and political dynamics in contemporary Hong Kong society must cover the role of the news media and their impacts at the societal level. The significance of the news media is partly a reflection of the liveliness of the media business in Hong Kong. Such a vibrant news sector, in turn, facilitates the formation of an industry of professional journalists who function like guard dogs for the public. In a partially democratized polity, news media interface between the government and the general public, striking a delicate balance between the state and society. On the one side, political influence can shape news media via market pressure. On the other hand, considering its commercial interest, the media business cannot ignore its popularity among the audience. It strives to promote its readership, connecting news media to the public. As a result, not only will news media inform the public, they also come to play a role in social mobilization. In this regard, the news media are constitutive and constituted in the social setting. The economic and political environment makes its mark on the news media, and the news media, through the dissemination of messages, inform the public by providing them with different interpretive schema. The authors of this title offer an engaging discussion of the interactions between news media and state, market, and civil society. Not only do they give us a solid background to understand the changing dynamics shaping the news media before 1997, but they also offer us an up-to-date analysis of the emerging challenges since Hong Kong’s return to China. Their critical analysis and reflection of the current scene facilitate the readers to ask further questions on the news media and the status of Hong Kong society.” (Prof. Tai Lok Lui, the Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong)

• School of Communication, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, Sha Tin, Hong Kong

  Chi Kit Chan

• Department of Social Sciences, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, Sha Tin, Hong Kong

  Gary Tang

• School of Journalism and Communication, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Sha Tin, Hong Kong

  Francis L. F. Lee

Chi Kit Chan (PhD, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2014) is Associate Professor in the School of Communication at the Hang Seng University of Hong Kong. He works mainly in journalism, media studies, and political communication.

Gary Tang (PhD, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2016) is an assistant professor in the Department of Social Science at the Hang Seng University of Hong Kong. His research interests include political communication and social media.

Francis L. F. Lee (PhD, Stanford University, 2003) is Professor and Director at the School of Journalism and Communication, Chinese University of Hong Kong. He works mainly in the areas of journalism studies, political communication, and media and social movements.

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