“Applelization” Influences the Entire Media Industry

出自香港新聞網 - 樹仁新傳系學生實習習作

Miss Yi-ping Law says that the print media in Hong Kong concerns about the flavors of the readers as well as commercial interests. She indicates that it is very common that the local newspapers avoid reporting issues that have negative impacts toward the advertisers. Today, Miss Yi-ping Law, the Chief Editor of Finet, shared her point of view towards the development of the media industry in Hong Kong as well as in mainland with students in Hong Kong Shue Yan University. She said that the print media in Hong Kong tend to commercialize, better known as “applelize”, and gradually lose the function of surveillance.

Miss Law has been working in the media industry for 19 years, she was the first Chinese reporter who went to Meulaboh in order to report the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake event in January, 2005. She indicated that the profit of the local newspapers today no longer depends on the sales volume but sponsors of advertisement. In this case, before launching a newspaper, the chief editor would see whether it is necessary to avoid reporting issues that have negative impacts toward the sponsors and “kill” those articles in order to maintain a good relationship with them. On the contrary, the profit of the newspapers in mainland comes from a variety of advertisers, thus, they would not concern about the interests of particular advertiser and would report events that have impacts toward the society whenever it is necessary, no matter there would have negative impacts toward the advertisers. Miss Law emphasized that the local newspapers have too many fears.

Besides, Miss Law criticized that local reporters nowadays are in lack of experiences and qualifications. It implies that Hong Kong is in lack of talents, and local newspapers no longer consist of qualified contents but just advertisements. Therefore, Miss Law thinks that the future of the media industry in Hong Kong is pessimistic. She suggested that the only way to rescue local media from commercialization is to merge them with enterprises from the mainland China.