DATELINE: HONG KONG

Survey showed overwhelming support for a western style Hong Kong media.
Introduction: The Hong Kong public overwhelmingly wanted a media which espoused Western press values; which would report objectively, be a watchdog of government, analyse complex issues and speak for the public. These are the results of opinion surveys conducted by the University of Hong Kong's Social Science Research Centre in 1994 and 1995. However, the expectations expressed by those surveyed differ sharply from those of the Chinese communist system where journalists are in theory at least required to "disseminate ideas for political education, and enlist political allies, acting as a collective propagandist, agitator, and a collective organiser [for the communist party]".

The following text is an edited summary of the findings presented on 4.8.95 by Chung Ting-yiu and Sze Kit-yu.

In May 1994, Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) and the Hong Kong Journalists Association initiated a series of surveys on people's views towards press freedom. Four separate surveys overlapped that of tracking polls. There were 5401 respondents telephone surveys as well as 367 journalists questioned in the postal survey.

(A) Media Performance and Credibility

As far as the general public is concerned, it seems that they have been fairly satisfied with the overall performance of the news media. Over the two years under study, an average of 62% of the respondents were satisfied with the overall performance of the news media, this contrasted with the 19% satisfaction rate among the journalists themselves. 23% of the journalists felt dissatisfied with the performance of the media, while only 4% of the general public said the same.

In the telephone surveys, an average of 58% of the respondents felt that performance of the news media was professional, 52% said that it performed responsibly, 48% considered them to have made full use of freedom of speech and only 23% said they misused it. [There was a slight drop in public approval over the period of the surveys].

57% regarded the media as credible, while 7% said they were not.

 

Public rating of news media types:

TV

Radio

Newspapers

Magazines

Satisfied

67.3%

49.3%

44.4%

11.7%

Dissatisfied

7.8%

4.9%

9.4%

27.1%

More than 80% of those surveyed regarded television to be one of their main sources of news.

 

Journalists' rating of news media types:

TV

Radio

Newspapers

Magazines

Satisfied

23.5%

31.7%

40.1%

11.4%

Dissatisfied

22.9%

7.7%

6.8%

38.5%

(B) Freedom of Speech

73% of the public were satisfied with the current freedom of speech they enjoyed, as against 42% of the journalists who said the same. 43% thought freedom of speech had increased in the three years prior to the survey. 59% thought it would decrease in the following three years [after the handover to China]. Only 12% of journalists thought freedom had increased, mainly in the amount of freedom in criticising the [British] Hong Kong government. 36% thought freedoms had decreased, mainly in reduced freedoms criticising the Chinese government. 85% of the journalists thought the situation would further deteriorate in the period covering the handover.

Signs of apprehension towards criticising the Chinese government

Agree

Disagree

Most journalists become apprehensive when they criticise the Chinese government.

62%

19%

The respondent becomes apprehensive when he/she criticises the Chinese government.

29%

42%

Most journalists become apprehensive when they criticise the [British] Hong Kong government.

9%

78%

The respondent becomes apprehensive when he/she criticises the Hong Kong government.

4%

76%

Practice of self censorship

Frequently

Occasionally

Never

Self censorship within the news media

24%

65%

4%

Self censorship in R's organisation

14%

44%

23%

Self censorship by respondent

6%

28%

62%

Respondent changed news treatment because of political pressure.

4%

49%

47%

To sum up, the public was, on the whole, quite pessimistice about the future of press freedoms. Journalists were even more sceptical.

 

(C) Role of the media

The telephone surveys revealed that the public expected the news media to report objectively (99.2%), to report facts (97.3%), to inform the public quickly (95.4%), to be a watchdog of government (94%), to provide analysis (93.4%), and to speak for the public (88.5%). A minority wanted the news media to provide entertainment (33%), to meet popular taste (22.6%), to assist in publicising government policy (18.4%) and to have a clear political stand (18.2%).

[ED: The last two responses explicitly contradict the communist party view of the role of journalists and the media.]

65% of the journalists thought that during the transition period, news media should press the Chinese and British governments to maintain people's rights, while 87% said they should fight to maintain Hong Kong's autonomy after 1997. Only 30% saw themselves as having a responsibility to maintain stability. [ED: This view runs directly counter to that of Beijjing's appointed chief executive for Hong Kong.]

38% of the public through the media should remain neutral during conflicts between China and Hong Kong, while 45% wished them to take Hong Kong's interest. Only 7% though the media should support China. This result was somewhat different from that of the journalists survey, as 55% of journalists thought they should rfemain neutral, and 34% said they should support Hong Kong.

 

(D) General Issues

Anticipated reasons for leaving the journalistic profession

Low pay, lack of profesional development, lack of promotion

28%

Political Interference, press freedom being threatened.

25.6%

Work pressure, irregular work hours, boredom

22.5%

Unpalatable editorial policy, lack of autonomy.

18.8%

Alan Knight

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