I thought I would review the remaining lecture schedule:
31 October
Xu Sitao, Chief China Representative, The Economist Group, and former chief economist, ICBC Asia (from 9.30 am)
Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, Founder and Chairperson, Savantas Policy Institute, and former secretary of security, HKSARG (from 10.15 am)
7 November
Ronnie Chan Chi-chung, Chairman, Hang Lung Group
My lecture will focus on corporate social responsibility and sustainable development.
14 November
Teresa Au, Head of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability, Asia Pacific Region, HSBC (from 9.30 am)
Dr Olaf Unteroberdoerster, Resident Representative in the HKSAR, International Monetary Fund (from 10.30 am - he will stay for an informal voluntary discussion session with IBGM students over lunch)
Dr Unteroberdoerster will brief us on the recently concluded IMF review of Hong Kong.
21 November
No lecture
28 November
Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, Chairman, Next Media
I will give a final wrap-up lecture for the semester.
2007-10-25
Next Week: Two Guests
As I mentioned in class yesterday, we have two very interesting guests next week. Both could only make it on 31 October.Xu Sitao, Chief Representative in China, The Economist Group, and former chief economist for ICBC Asia, the investment banking arm of China's biggest state bank
Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, (right), Founder and Chairperson, Savantas Policy Institute, and the former secretary of security of the HKSARG
Mr Xu will start at 9.30 am. Mrs Ip will arrive after 10 am and we will start the session with her around 10.15 am. Please try to come on time if you can.
I was keen to have a guest who could give a mainland Chinese perspective on Hong Kong. Mr Xu kindly agreed to stop in Hong Kong on his way to Taiwan specifically so he could join our class.
Mrs Ip needs no introduction. To continue from what we talked about with Emily Lau, she will discuss the dynamics of Hong Kong's relationship with the mainland. She will also talk about her experience in government, particularly in handling the trade and security portfolios. Finally, as the head of a recently established policy think tank, she will give her views on the role of civil society in Hong Kong.
POLI0019 Exam
I am in the process of setting the exam paper for POLI0019 students so I have been giving more thought to how it will proceed. As I mentioned in class yesterday, the Examinations Secretary has set the exam period for Friday, 14 December, from 9.30 am to 11.30 am. The venue is the Lindsay Ride Sports Centre. I know that a couple of students asked if the date could be changed. I looked into this and, unfortunately, this is NOT possible. I'm sorry - the Examinations Secretary is allowing no changes.
What I propose to do is have a fairly simple exam - two or three essay questions not unlike the Questions of the Week that have been posed on the course blog. The questions will be fairly broad in scope. A good essay in response will make reference to what the guest speakers told us during the semester, to any other recognized authorities, and to any of the assigned readings or other material that you may have read. You can also draw from your own experience.
What is important is to provide a clear line of argument with three or four key points that address the question. You should bolster these points with examples, facts and other information. Be as economical as you can. You should make your best effort to write with correct grammar and spelling, but I fully understand that not everyone can write English to a native standard.
I propose to have a review session during the exam period - perhaps on Monday, 10 December - if there is demand.
I should note that POLI0068 students will not need to sit an exam.
What I propose to do is have a fairly simple exam - two or three essay questions not unlike the Questions of the Week that have been posed on the course blog. The questions will be fairly broad in scope. A good essay in response will make reference to what the guest speakers told us during the semester, to any other recognized authorities, and to any of the assigned readings or other material that you may have read. You can also draw from your own experience.
What is important is to provide a clear line of argument with three or four key points that address the question. You should bolster these points with examples, facts and other information. Be as economical as you can. You should make your best effort to write with correct grammar and spelling, but I fully understand that not everyone can write English to a native standard.
I propose to have a review session during the exam period - perhaps on Monday, 10 December - if there is demand.
I should note that POLI0068 students will not need to sit an exam.
POLI0019 Editorials
Again on Mr Wong's good advice, I thought I would write about what makes a good editorial topic. But first, I should announce that we will push back the deadline for the POLI0019 editorials to give you more time to do them. Instead of Friday, 16 November, they will be due on Friday, 23 November, with hard copies delivered to the PPA Department office by the close of business that day. Please see the syllabus for some guidelines. There will be a penalty for late assignments (1/3 a grade per day); an assignment turned in more than three days after the due date will not be accepted.
Even though you have more time for this assignment, I would advise you not to leave it to the last minute, particularly since you will have the debates and the exam for which to prepare. The tutorial-free afternoon on 14 November would be a good time to catch up with any work.
As for selecting a topic, this is very much your choice. If you are working with a partner, you must of course choose a topic together. As I mentioned, I am happy to have those who wish to work alone to do so, but the required length of the article (about 800 words) will remain the same. I strongly recommend that you settle on a topic by the end of the first week of November.
What makes a good topic? The idea is to discuss some aspect of Hong Kong's role in the world. First and foremost, it should be something that interests you. Because the editorial is only about 800 words - 1,000 maximum, you should really choose a topic that can be easily dealt with in an essay of that length. Decide on a question that you want to consider or answer - or one, two or three points that you wish to make. Do not pick anything to broad. Try to narrow your topic, without getting too "micro" in your perspective. For example, it may be more manageable to write a piece arguing that "the direct election of the Chief Executive of Hong Kong cannot be delayed until 2012 because that would be a blow to the SAR's international standing" than it would be to take up the sweeping proposition that "democracy is good for Hong Kong."
Pick a topic that is timely, particularly if you would like to get it published. For example, it might be more interesting to write about the coming Beijing Olympics and the opportunity that this affords for Hong Kong than it would be to write something about the tenth anniversary of the handover.
When it comes to writing the piece, keep it simple. Structure your piece so that it has an introduction that grabs the reader's attention, a topic paragraph up front that tells the reader what it is that you want to say, and then subsequent paragraphs that make your points systematically. Make the paragraphs flow logically from one to the other. Remember that 800 words can go by rather quickly. Buttress your points with any relevant facts or figures. Quote certain authorities if necessary, but this is NOT an academic paper; it is an opinion piece for publication in a newspaper. Finally, stick to a clear line of argument.
I suggest that, if you have not already done so, you might read some of the opinion-page pieces in the South China Morning Post. That would be the best way to get an idea of what good (and perhaps some bad) editorial pieces are like.
As I have mentioned before, you should make your best effort to write with correct grammar and spelling, but I fully appreciate that not everybody's English is to native standard. And of course please take note of the university's policy on plagiarism. I still intend to submit the best of the essays to the South China Morning Post or another publication so this could be a good opportunity for budding writers and journalists.
If you would like to discuss your topic or any aspect of this assignment, please feel free to approach me or Mr Wong. We would be happy to arrange an appointment.
Even though you have more time for this assignment, I would advise you not to leave it to the last minute, particularly since you will have the debates and the exam for which to prepare. The tutorial-free afternoon on 14 November would be a good time to catch up with any work.
As for selecting a topic, this is very much your choice. If you are working with a partner, you must of course choose a topic together. As I mentioned, I am happy to have those who wish to work alone to do so, but the required length of the article (about 800 words) will remain the same. I strongly recommend that you settle on a topic by the end of the first week of November.
What makes a good topic? The idea is to discuss some aspect of Hong Kong's role in the world. First and foremost, it should be something that interests you. Because the editorial is only about 800 words - 1,000 maximum, you should really choose a topic that can be easily dealt with in an essay of that length. Decide on a question that you want to consider or answer - or one, two or three points that you wish to make. Do not pick anything to broad. Try to narrow your topic, without getting too "micro" in your perspective. For example, it may be more manageable to write a piece arguing that "the direct election of the Chief Executive of Hong Kong cannot be delayed until 2012 because that would be a blow to the SAR's international standing" than it would be to take up the sweeping proposition that "democracy is good for Hong Kong."
Pick a topic that is timely, particularly if you would like to get it published. For example, it might be more interesting to write about the coming Beijing Olympics and the opportunity that this affords for Hong Kong than it would be to write something about the tenth anniversary of the handover.
When it comes to writing the piece, keep it simple. Structure your piece so that it has an introduction that grabs the reader's attention, a topic paragraph up front that tells the reader what it is that you want to say, and then subsequent paragraphs that make your points systematically. Make the paragraphs flow logically from one to the other. Remember that 800 words can go by rather quickly. Buttress your points with any relevant facts or figures. Quote certain authorities if necessary, but this is NOT an academic paper; it is an opinion piece for publication in a newspaper. Finally, stick to a clear line of argument.
I suggest that, if you have not already done so, you might read some of the opinion-page pieces in the South China Morning Post. That would be the best way to get an idea of what good (and perhaps some bad) editorial pieces are like.
As I have mentioned before, you should make your best effort to write with correct grammar and spelling, but I fully appreciate that not everybody's English is to native standard. And of course please take note of the university's policy on plagiarism. I still intend to submit the best of the essays to the South China Morning Post or another publication so this could be a good opportunity for budding writers and journalists.
If you would like to discuss your topic or any aspect of this assignment, please feel free to approach me or Mr Wong. We would be happy to arrange an appointment.
Tutorials: Looking Ahead
After my big goof this week in forgetting that I had cancelled tutorials, Mr Wong and I reviewed the syllabus. This is the tutorial schedule going forward. It is essentially the same as in the syllabus, with key changes starred.
31 October: Tutorials as scheduled
7 November: Tutorials as scheduled
14 November: ***POLI0068 tutorial*** (no POLI0019 tutorials)
21 November: ***POLI0019 tutorial*** (first round of debates)
28 November: Tutorials as scheduled (second round of POLI0019 tutorial debates)
5 December: ***No tutorials***
As you know, I was not aware that Reading Week meant that many students would be away. In retrospect, I should not have had a make-up class and tutorials that week. I was also not aware until yesterday that by 5 December, the exam period will have already started. For that reason, I will not have any lecture or tutorials on 5 December. I would like to have an open review session before the 14 December exam - perhaps on Monday, 10 December? We can talk about that.
To accommodate the POLI0019 tutorial debates and to give enough time to conduct them, Mr Wong and I thought it would be better for him to start them on 21 November, with half of each tutorial section participating in the debate and the other half listening and then critiquing the discussion. On 28 November, the other half of each class will debate and the others will take the role of the judges. Please note that on 21 November there will be no lecture and no POLI0068 IBGM tutorial.
I will post something on the debates and on the POLI0019 and POLI0068 writing assignments soon.
31 October: Tutorials as scheduled
7 November: Tutorials as scheduled
14 November: ***POLI0068 tutorial*** (no POLI0019 tutorials)
21 November: ***POLI0019 tutorial*** (first round of debates)
28 November: Tutorials as scheduled (second round of POLI0019 tutorial debates)
5 December: ***No tutorials***
As you know, I was not aware that Reading Week meant that many students would be away. In retrospect, I should not have had a make-up class and tutorials that week. I was also not aware until yesterday that by 5 December, the exam period will have already started. For that reason, I will not have any lecture or tutorials on 5 December. I would like to have an open review session before the 14 December exam - perhaps on Monday, 10 December? We can talk about that.
To accommodate the POLI0019 tutorial debates and to give enough time to conduct them, Mr Wong and I thought it would be better for him to start them on 21 November, with half of each tutorial section participating in the debate and the other half listening and then critiquing the discussion. On 28 November, the other half of each class will debate and the others will take the role of the judges. Please note that on 21 November there will be no lecture and no POLI0068 IBGM tutorial.
I will post something on the debates and on the POLI0019 and POLI0068 writing assignments soon.
Our Thinking Behind the Tutorials
On the very good advice of Mr Wong, I thought I would take some time to explain our thinking behind the tutorials. I did so at the beginning of the semester, but should probably have done so again after the course shopping period.
Because of my own experience with the American and British education systems, I view the tutorials as an opportunity for students to speak their mind. Of course, I would love to have comments and questions at any time during the lecture, particularly when we have guest speakers. But the tutorials are for you (I can go on a bit, I know). When I took an introductory Economics course as a freshman in the U.S. 26 years ago, we had over a thousand students in the course. During the lecture, the professor spoke and we listened. It was in our "section" meetings of about 15-20 stude nts that we really learned the material through free-for-all discussions of the lectures and the readings.
Later, I had a chance to experience the British tutorial system. I will never forget one of my first tutorial sessions - it was with Joseph Raz, a bearded legal philosopher and scholar of jurisprudence who was quite intimidating. I had done the week's reading and was sitting in an armchair in his study, reading my paper to him. After about ten minutes, he interrupted me, looked me deep in the eyes and said: "That's all very well, but what do you really think!" It was then that I appreciated the value of the tutorial system. It was not meant to rehash what you had heard in lectures or read in books; the tutorial was the time to shape your own thoughts and ideas and defend your own opinions, using what information you had gathered. And it was a time to learn from the exchange of ideas between student and teacher, between students.
This is why we are trying to encourage free-flowing discussion in tutorials, rather than make them too structured. It is perhaps more difficult to do so when there are a dozen or two dozen students in class, but it can be done, and we appreciate your participation so far. Speaking for myself, I have found the IBGM sessions to be quite lively and interesting. I have learned a lot.
So that's the thinking behind the tutorials and what might be viewed as a "less-than-systematic" approach.
Because of my own experience with the American and British education systems, I view the tutorials as an opportunity for students to speak their mind. Of course, I would love to have comments and questions at any time during the lecture, particularly when we have guest speakers. But the tutorials are for you (I can go on a bit, I know). When I took an introductory Economics course as a freshman in the U.S. 26 years ago, we had over a thousand students in the course. During the lecture, the professor spoke and we listened. It was in our "section" meetings of about 15-20 stude nts that we really learned the material through free-for-all discussions of the lectures and the readings.
Later, I had a chance to experience the British tutorial system. I will never forget one of my first tutorial sessions - it was with Joseph Raz, a bearded legal philosopher and scholar of jurisprudence who was quite intimidating. I had done the week's reading and was sitting in an armchair in his study, reading my paper to him. After about ten minutes, he interrupted me, looked me deep in the eyes and said: "That's all very well, but what do you really think!" It was then that I appreciated the value of the tutorial system. It was not meant to rehash what you had heard in lectures or read in books; the tutorial was the time to shape your own thoughts and ideas and defend your own opinions, using what information you had gathered. And it was a time to learn from the exchange of ideas between student and teacher, between students.
This is why we are trying to encourage free-flowing discussion in tutorials, rather than make them too structured. It is perhaps more difficult to do so when there are a dozen or two dozen students in class, but it can be done, and we appreciate your participation so far. Speaking for myself, I have found the IBGM sessions to be quite lively and interesting. I have learned a lot.
So that's the thinking behind the tutorials and what might be viewed as a "less-than-systematic" approach.
Tutorial Schedule and the Exam
THERE WILL BE TUTORIALS NEXT WEEK, WEDNESDAY, 31 OCTOBER.
Mr Wong and I have reviewed the schedule for the remainder of the semester and are making some adjustments. I am preparing to post some announcements on these changes so please check the blog.
On the exam date: A couple of students approached me yesterday regarding the date of the exam for POLI0019 students. The Examinations Secretary of the University set the time and date of the exam for Friday, 14 December, 9.30 am - 11.30 am. I am told that this date and time cannot be changed, I am afraid.
Mr Wong and I have reviewed the schedule for the remainder of the semester and are making some adjustments. I am preparing to post some announcements on these changes so please check the blog.
On the exam date: A couple of students approached me yesterday regarding the date of the exam for POLI0019 students. The Examinations Secretary of the University set the time and date of the exam for Friday, 14 December, 9.30 am - 11.30 am. I am told that this date and time cannot be changed, I am afraid.
After Emily
Two students have posted very interesting comments on yesterday's discussion with Emily Lau so I thought I would link them here and open a separate thread, as the original thread is not linked to a posting that relates to any specific issue and could be overlooked. Please contribute. Again, don't feel you have to write anything long; it's the ideas and your participation that are important.
2007-10-24
Lecture Six Summary
Those who were unable to attend last week's Reading Week lecture may be interested in a summary of the session on the role of the media which I have just posted. I have uploaded the ppt presentationf for Lecture Six on to the WebCT site, along with all the other lecture slides.
ONE SEAT STILL AVAILABLE: Asia Society Lunch - 2 November
As of Thursday, 25 October, at 3.30 pm, I have one seat available for the 2 November lunch discussion on the Asian financial crisis. Please email me if you would like to attend. Thanks.
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The Asia Society Hong Kong Center is again kindly offering us complimentary seats to the following event:
2 November (Friday), 12 noon reception, 12.30 pm lunch, closes at 2.30 pm
J.W. Marriott Hotel
Panel Discussion on "The Asian Financial Crisis: Ten Years On"
with Michael Spencer, Chief Economist, Deutsche Bank; Stephen Schwartz, Senior Representative in Indonesia for the International Monetary Fund; Jim Walker, Chief Economist, CLSA; moderated by Mark Clifford, Executive Director, Asia Business Council
Let me know if you would like to attend.
-----
The Asia Society Hong Kong Center is again kindly offering us complimentary seats to the following event:
2 November (Friday), 12 noon reception, 12.30 pm lunch, closes at 2.30 pm
J.W. Marriott Hotel
Panel Discussion on "The Asian Financial Crisis: Ten Years On"
with Michael Spencer, Chief Economist, Deutsche Bank; Stephen Schwartz, Senior Representative in Indonesia for the International Monetary Fund; Jim Walker, Chief Economist, CLSA; moderated by Mark Clifford, Executive Director, Asia Business Council
Let me know if you would like to attend.
Update on Readings - Newly Uploaded
I mentioned today an article by Prof. Robert D. Putnam of Harvard University - "Diplomacy and Domestic Politics: The Logic of Two-Level Games". It appeared in the journal International Organization, in 1988 (Vol. 42, No. 3, Summer 1988). In this article, Prof. Putnam describes his two-game model for understanding the dynamics between domestic politics and international relations. I used this to develop the "three-level game" model for Hong Kong. If you would like to read Prof. Putnam's article, I have posted it on the WebCT site, along with the ppt file for today's lecture (Lecture Seven).
For those of you who wish to read two articles with differing views on political development in Hong Kong, I would recommend the latest issue of the journal Global Asia, which features essays by Anson Chan Fang On-sang, the former chief secretary of Hong Kong, and Jasper Tsang Yok-sing, the founder and former chairman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong (DAB), a political party, to whom Emily Lau referred this morning. Tsang Yok-sing is also on the Executive and Legislative Councils. I have put Anson Chan's essay "Democracy in Hong Kong: What's Wrong With Now" and Tsang Yok-sing's article "Mature Enough For Democracy, And Sensible Too" on reserve at the Politics and Public Administration Department, Meng Wah Room 622. The Managing Editor of Global Asia, I should note, is David Plott, an Associate Professor and the Deputy Director of the Journalism and Media Studies Centre at the University of Hong Kong.
I have also put on reserve at the PPA Department Emily Lau's book which she gave to me this morning.
For those of you who wish to read two articles with differing views on political development in Hong Kong, I would recommend the latest issue of the journal Global Asia, which features essays by Anson Chan Fang On-sang, the former chief secretary of Hong Kong, and Jasper Tsang Yok-sing, the founder and former chairman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong (DAB), a political party, to whom Emily Lau referred this morning. Tsang Yok-sing is also on the Executive and Legislative Councils. I have put Anson Chan's essay "Democracy in Hong Kong: What's Wrong With Now" and Tsang Yok-sing's article "Mature Enough For Democracy, And Sensible Too" on reserve at the Politics and Public Administration Department, Meng Wah Room 622. The Managing Editor of Global Asia, I should note, is David Plott, an Associate Professor and the Deputy Director of the Journalism and Media Studies Centre at the University of Hong Kong.
I have also put on reserve at the PPA Department Emily Lau's book which she gave to me this morning.
2007-10-18
A Critical View of the CE's Policy Address
Here is veteran journalist Philip Bowring's take on the Chief Executive's Policy Address from the Asia Sentinel website. Bowring, a longtime Hong Kong resident and the former editor of the Far Eastern Economic Review, argues that Donald Tsang "made no significant steps to address the two most evident local problems, pollution and the income gap. Indeed, other measures he announced could make them worse." He goes on:
"As for initiatives to enhance Hong Kong’s role as an international centre they were thin on the ground. Years after Islamic finance became significant and long after London and other non-Islamic centers had rules governing it, Hong Kong’s myopic bureaucrats have just discovered it.Fair criticism? What do you think?
Indeed, Tsang seems to have almost abandoned the idea that Hong Kong should be an international city on its own account. Eager now to pander to Beijing as he once pandered to his colonial masters and to the Pope, he now urges Hong Kong to see its future in terms of capitalizing on the strength of the motherland as though there were not a vast number of businesses, particularly in the high value added services, which owe little or nothing to dealings with the mainland.
In short the Policy Address makes depressing reading for those hoping to see Hong Kong modernize its thinking and its leadership, and reduce the collusion between government and big business at the expense of the community. This is neither a blueprint for the 'harmonious society' goal of President Hu nor a city in the forefront of the world."
2007-10-17
Recap: Lecture Six - Hong Kong and the Role of the Media
We had quite a few people away on Reading Week activities, so I thought I would provide a more detailed summary of our discussion. As usual, I have posted on the WebCT site the Powerpoint file for today's lecture.
These were the salient points from today's class:
- The globalization of media has been manifested in the growth of global media organizations and the proliferation of content due to the emergence of new channels of delivery, particularly the Internet.
- In the 1980s-90s, Hong Kong became a key playing field for global media groups such as Time Warner and Dow Jones that entered the market with an eye to establishing a foothold in the Asian market.
- But even as media has globalized, there has also been a surge in regional or local alternatives such as StarTV which had mixed results with its English-language programming but had huge success with its Hindi broadcasts.
- Key point: Even as globalization has led to the emergence of a more global consciousness among media consumers and the penetration of Asian markets by global media groups, there has also been a parallel rise in regional and local options that cater to people who want content in their own language or framed with a regional or local perspective. Hong Kong is no exception. So while consumers have clamored for "global content" such as English football or CNN International, they have also snapped up new, vibrant local products such as Apple Daily.
- Our two guests, Zoher Abdoolcarim, Senior Editor of Time Asia, and Liu Kin-ming, Director of Special Projects at Hong Kong Economic Journal, discussed how Hong Kong's news media has changed since the handover. Kin-ming noted that the different news outlets in Hong Kong cater to the tastes and perspectives of their readers or viewers. English-language publications often cover topics and developments that receive little attention from Chinese-language publications, and vice versa.
- Referring to the "Death of Hong Kong" cover story that Fortune Magazine ran in 1995, Zoher noted that the title was meant to be provocative but that the article itself was more nuanced and argued that Hong Kong was in for a big change in 1997; it was not really as dire as the title might have led the reader to believe. But that said, there were genuine fears among Hong Kong people about the future of the city and many citizens who could do so were getting foreign passports in case anything went wrong. The worries were certainly fueled by the events of 4 June 1989 and the crushing of pro-democracy demonstrations in Beijing. This certainly colored foreign perspectives of Hong Kong's post-1997 future and of course raised concerns among local people.
- Kin-ming said that during the initial period after the handover, the media in Hong Kong was feeling its way, wondering what the situation would be. This might have meant that some media were holding back, but once they found that nothing had really changed, then they continued as before. Clearly, self-censorship does happen, but this is not something that happened after the handover but was practiced beforehand, under the British, only there were different interests involved. As for the foreign media, there is little, if anything, that a publication like Time wouldn't cover if its editors thought it would be of interest to readers. But foreign media are not interested in the minutiae of developments in Hong Kong and China, looking instead at more big-picture issues and stories. Zoher noted that Time Asia's special on the tenth anniversary of the handover did not run in the Time U.S. domestic edition. There was never any thought that it would do so. There is just no interest in such a story among editors in New York.
- One test case might be the coverage of the Dalai Lama's public meeting with U.S. President George W. Bush. In any of Hong Kong's newsrooms, are there editors who would want to bury such a story in the back pages instead of putting an article and/or photo on the front page? Kin-ming reckoned that certain newspapers in Hong Kong would minimize the story and even take a critical editorial view. But it is not unusual even in Western developed countries for the media to have a political slant or bias. British newspapers, for example, are renowned for leaning a particular way.
- Zoher stressed that the evolution of media in Hong Kong should be seen against the backdrop of great change in China and in the perception of China. This is not the China of 1979 or 1989. There has been great progress in the mainland. In addition, the Chinese media itself has changed. While there are still much stricter limits on the news media than there are in Hong Kong, Chinese reporters are able to do much more than before. Kin-ming noted that Chinese journalists are highly skilled at working the system, doing as much as they can without over-stepping bounds. Many are fully aware of what it takes to be an excellent journalist, but they must work within the limits.
- Both guests remarked on the proliferation of media in Hong Kong - the wider choice, the increase in the channels of delivery, and the easier access to global products. One recent phenomenon has been the rise in tabloid reporting, which some media critics have regarded as a form of self-censorship in that reporting on celebrities avoids having to delve into serious or sensitive issues. Zoher underscored that one should not take an elitist view - that there is room for both serious reporting and reporting on pop culture. Consumers want both. What is important is that, with the proliferation of choice, we as consumers of media should become more discriminating. We should judge for ourselves what sources of information are reliable and worthy of trust - and which ones aren't.
- There was some discussion about the situation in Singapore, which paradoxically has succeeded in attracting some media groups to set up regional headquarters in the city, though it has a reputation for placing limits, either direct or indirect, on both local and foreign journalists. A reason for Singapore's success in attracting companies like Reuters to set up major operations in the city is that the government has provided incentives and the technological infrastructure to suppot these enterprises. They do not worry about what is broadcast from Singapore and are only concerned about what coverage of Singapore is distributed locally. Business and economic news is generally not a problem; they are more vigilant with reporting on local political and social issues. There have been many instances of Singapore leaders suing journalists for libel.
- The media plays a vital role in Hong Kong as a check on vested interests and the excesses of political and business leaders, a mirror to society and a mirror of society, and a source of information and entertainment. The media in Hong Kong has globalized just as Hong Kong has globalized. The question is whether the media, particularly the press, can remain free and vibrant, despite the pressures that may exist that somehow fuel self-censorship and could make Hong Kong less attractive not only to investors but to its citizens.
Reporters Without Borders: Worldwide Press Freedom Index
Coincidentally, the Paris-based group Reporters Without Borders has just released its Worldwide Press Freedom Index for 2007. Hong Kong is ranked No. 61, right alongside Madagascar and just below Kosovo and ahead of Kuwait. A low ranking, I should note, does not necessarily mean that journalists are not free to report what they want, but may be an indication of the conditions in which reporters work and the threats they face. So for example, the Philippines, where the media can be quite active and vocal, comes in at No. 128, I would surmise, because some reporters there have been killed in the line of duty. The bottom-ranked countries are North Korea (No. 168) and Eritrea (No. 169). Once again, those cold countries in the North do well: Iceland and Norway (tied at No. 1), Estonia and Slovakia (joint No. 3), and Belgium, Finland and Sweden (all three at No. 5).
Next Week: A Journalist and Politician
Following on from today's discussion on the media, next week we will have as our guest former journalist Emily Lau Wai-hing, who is now a directly elected member of the Legislative Council and one of the founders of the political group The Frontier. Given her background, we will use as the starting point of the class exactly where we left off today: the state of freedom of the press in Hong Kong. I have asked Ms Lau to give her views on Hong Kong since the handover, focusing on political and social developments and the SAR's interaction with the mainland. She is never one to hold back so it should be very interesting, perhaps even provocative. You might wish to look through her website to learn about her background and policy positions.Please note that due to her commitments at Legco, we will begin the session with Ms Lau at 9.30 am and will end around 10.45 am. After a break, we will go on until 11.30 am, as usual.
2007-10-16
Reposting: So Many Questions...
Here are links to all the Questions of the Week to make it easy for you to post your reactions:
- What makes Hong Kong competitive?
- How does Hong Kong's being an SAR of the PRC affect its ability to conduct its external relations?
- Does Hong Kong have culture? Does Hong Kong have a culture?
- What is the impact of mother-tongue instruction in schools on Hong Kong's competitiveness?
- Does Hong Kong have a role to play as a bridge between the U.S. and China? Should Hong Kong be China's advocate to the rest of the world to promote better understanding of China and its policies?
2007-10-15
Hong Kong and the Role of the Media
I hope that, although it is Reading Week, as many of you as possible will be able to make it to our lecture on Wednesday. As you know, our topic will be the media - the coverage of Hong Kong in the local, mainland and foreign media, as well as the role of the media in the SAR. We will have two great guests:
- Zoher Abdoolcarim, Senior Editor at Time Asia and my former colleague at Asiaweek
- Liu Kin-ming, Director of Special Projects at the Hong Kong Economic Journal, a blogger on PostGlobal, and former opinion page editor and general manager of the Chinese-language newspaper Apple Daily
Seminar: Media and Politics
One of your colleagues kindly brought to my attention this Journalism and Media Studies Centre seminar on "Politics in a Media Society", which will take place on Wednesday, 17 October. Coincidentally, the topic will complement what we will be discussing in our class the same day. I'm not familiar with Prof. Donsbach's work, but I expect that the discussion should be very interesting.
2007-10-14
The 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China
China's Communist Party is convening its 17th National Congress starting tomorrow. Held every five years, the party congress is the most important political event in China and is the time when pivotal leadership and policy changes are made. Hong Kong delegates will be attending the meeting this week. No shift in policy on the SAR is expected. You may be interested in this Reuters article on Hong Kong's political development and this story from yesterday's South China Morning Post (NB: access to scmp.com is limited).
Forum on the Chief Executive's Policy Address
For those of you who are free on Monday afternoon, 15 October, from 1 pm to 2.15 pm, you may be interested in a forum on the Chief Executive's Policy Address which has been organized by the Department of Social Work and Social Administration. Christine Loh Kung-wai, founder and CEO of the think tank Civic Exchange, will be on the panel. She always has something interesting to say.
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