Evaluation of media and understanding of politics: The role of education among Hong Kong citizens

Abstract

This article discusses the future of the liberal media system in Hong Kong. It examines whether the political culture in the city would support a media system that primarily understands itself as a watchdog and a critique of power holders. While local political scientists have pointed to the prominence of the idea of ‘consultative democracy’ in the city’s political culture, the present authors argue that there are in fact competing visions of democracy in the public arena. As different conceptions of democracy imply different understandings of media’s role in politics, this study analyzes a survey to examine citizens understanding of media and politics, especially with regard to the relative emphasis being put on the media as a watchdog versus the media as a platform for consultation. More specifically, the analysis focuses on the role of education in shaping people’s attitudes. Drawing upon political communication research in the West, the analysis also examines how people’s evaluations of the media and of political institutions are related to each other. The findings suggest that Hong Kong citizens in general are quite receptive to the idea of the media as independent from and even a critique of the government, while people with higher levels of education are the most fervent supporters of the liberal media. The implications of the findings will be discussed.