Media in Hong Kong and Taiwan - Report Example

MASS MEDIA Student University MASS MEDIA Introduction Mass media can be defined as the ways in which one is able to pass information to people.Some examples of mass media platforms include television, radio, magazines, periodicals and newspapers. In addition we have the social media which came in the advent of new technological ways of communication. Aspects of mass media in this context, are those factors which influence the current existence and survival of media hitherto. The aspects include: the media system, history of media, the media content, regulations or control of the media, the media policy and emerging trends in the media. This paper therefore aims to compare and contrast these aspects of media in two countries, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Aspects of mass media in Hong Kong The inhabitants of Hong Kong are kept up to date with information because they are well equippedwith an active and lively media. They also have a great thirst for information. Their thirst for information has led to emergence of a committed press, radio and television network that embraces freedom of expression. History of media The history of media in Hong Kong has a very close ties with the politics in china. The first edition of an English language newspaper in china was published by Christian missionaries in 1850. Later, in the 1870s, there came a Chinese owned newspaper. Towards the end of the century, revolutionists and loyalists had also published their press magazines in Hong Kong. Not only was their aim to reach Chinese intellectuals, but also tried to deliver news and advocacy for reforms. Open criticism was allowed and there was no censorship. However, criticizing the British colonial government was banned. After the communal riots which occurred in 1967, the British government found it helpful to close down all forms of communication and narrow down the communication channel to just one which was both a news producer and distributer. In the negotiation held in the 1980s by British and Chinese, Hong Kong’s press worked hand in hand with the British. In 1997, over thirty Chinese print media with others in English had already registered with the Hong Konggovernment.Currently, Hong Kong boasts of being a major publication center supported by a well sustained printing industry. The major source of revenue for Hong Kong media is advertisement for company sales. Media Regulation in Hong Kong Media laws In the whole of Asia, Hong Kong has been granted the most freedom of expression. The freedom enjoyed by the print media, however is attributed to the British colonial government. Despite the British government having many rules and regulations put in place to check on the press, these rules were rarely adhered to.The primary media law for Hong Kong gave allowance for freedom of expression and speech to the media. This was never altered even after the Chinese took over from the Britons. Censorship Since Hong Kong is a very big business premise, incorporated with political activities, it is perceived that there is a lot of sensitive information which needs to be handled cautiously. It is therefore upon the journalists to pursue self-censorship on matters concerning the government of china and the leadership at large. If information about the government is to be conveyed to the public, then it is done skillfully and with a high sense of professionalism by the journalist.Even in such a situation, it is the journalist’s duty to censor since there have never been warnings against disclosure of vital information. In the case of imported literature (magazines and journals), there is totally no censorship. This is because the government handles such material as personal and not design for the general public audience. Emerging trends in the Hong Kong media Embracing online literature People in Hong Kong have embraced the online technique and testimonials from majority lead to a conclusion that doing activities online is very effective and efficient. Most people would prefer reading newspapers, magazines and journals online at their own comfort. Besides, the adverts which were often made in the print media are also finding their way online. The emergent of short message services. This is a mode of communication via mobile phones whereby one individual writes a short message and it is delivered to the recipient at a desired spontaneity. Due to the fast delivery of a message, most individuals are slowly drifting from the manual way of conveying messages. Active involvement in the social media. Hong Kong has joined the rest of the world in embracing social media. The use of social media has provided a platform for one on one interaction with other people, something which never seemed possible in the recent past. These include sites like Facebook, twitter, Instagram among others. The media system in Hong Kong. Hong Kong embraces use of the following methods in the media system. There is use of radio, of which there are three major radio stations. Hong Kong also has over fifteen printed newspapers (dailies both in Chinese and English), there are a variety of magazines which are published periodically for the people of Hong Kong. For proper publicity, Hong Kong also has the open air media. In this media system majorly they hold roadshows for announcements and publicity. The online media is yet another media system that is taking root in Hong Kong. Hong Kong media policy The Secretary for Home Affairs has general obligation regarding approach on data and related matters, while the Director of Information Services prompts the Government on the presentation of its strategies, and on legal matters for the better part, both in Hong Kong and abroad. Aspects of mass media in Taiwan Taiwan, just like Hong Kong, is one of the countries in Asia where by the media has so much freedom. The media in Taiwan is thought to be one of the freest and most focused in Asia. HQ TV utilization is high (around 80%) and there is additionally a wide choice of daily papers accessible covering most political perspectives. History of media in Taiwan While Taiwan's media flexibility may rank among the main couple of countries in Asia today, its advance to its current condition of liveliness was not without a struggle.It has struggled through the Japanese control from 1895 to 1945.During the military law time media faced a tight chain and the express restriction from enquiring about then-President Chiang Kai-Shek. Taiwanese media was organized to transmit the official belief system chosen by the KMT. The official media's part in Taiwanese society was to convey the administration's choices, assembling individuals around its motivation and discovering approaches to work towards meeting the administration's destinations under the nearby supervision by the Government Information Office. Media administrators and government officials on both ends of the political range fashioned close relations amid the military law period. In the near past, changes have been made and the new Radio and Television Broadcasting Law obliged the legislature, the political gatherings and the military to surrender their electronic media shareholding by December 26, 2005. Since the legitimization of digital TV, KMT has lost its control over the business as opposed to what its desire of supporting impact over the medium. With the fast multiplication of print and telecast media taking after liberalization and the cancelation of confinements on transmitting and getting high quality TV telecasts, the business has assumed control over the state as the prevailing impact over the broad communications industry.The differences of supposition in Taiwanese media is exceptionally respected by the writers union as well as by the more extensive audience who remember its significance in keeping up their general public's pluralistic nature. Media regulations in Taiwan Media laws and Censorship Taiwan has no official censorship, a similar situation in Hong Kong. After the military law and the Emergency Decree were finished in 1987, the free environment required for the sound working of the press and the media resurfaced. The Democratic Progressive Party,after it took measures to protect the unavoidably endorsed social liberties of Taiwan's nationals. A notable setback came promptly after Chen's regime began on May 20, 2000, with the stunning news that a military court had sentenced Major Liu Chih-chung to jail for supposedly releasing the secrets of the Martials to the press. This, however, faced a lot of protest from the journalists. The aftermath of this unfolding was amendment of the law to protect the rights of the journalists. Since then, Taiwan’s journalists enjoy the freedom of expression, serving the democratic nation by giving them fresh and live news right from the sources. However, this does not mean victory for the journalists since debates are underway trying to see how the freedom of the press can be limited. Emerging trends in the Taiwan media The emerging trends in the media in Taiwan are very similar to those in Hong Kong. Taiwan too, is embracing the onset of technology and electronic media in the delivery of information to its citizens. The use of online broadcast, the social media (Facebook, twitter and Instagram) have taken deep root in current Taiwan. However, this has not completely phased of the print media. The two are intertwined in order to achieve the desired role of mass media. Taiwan media policy Taiwan’s media policies aim at one major thing and this is reformation. In order for the reformations in the Taiwan media to be successful, same procedures need to be followed. First, there should be need for the reformation. The media will only be reformed when it is completely free from the political entanglement.Second, the aim and vision of the reformation should be put into consideration.Third, the details for success in the media reformation should be well versed and finally, the principles to guide the reforms should be formulated. All these put into consideration, the policy of reformation will be successful. Conclusion In conclusion, it can be noted that the aspects of media communication between the two countries are similar in many ways. The differences between these aspects in the two countries are outweighed by the similarities. References 1. WEISENHAUS, D., COTTRELL, J., & YAN, M. N. (2007). HongKong media law a guide for journalists and media professionals. HongKong, HongKong University Press. http://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=677233. 2. LAI, C. P. (2007). Media in HongKong press freedom and political change, 1967-2005. London, Routledge. OW, M. (1995). 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