NEWS & EVENTS

Protests in Hong Kong: An Analysis of Newspaper’ Coverage since the Handover

Dr. Giovanna Maria Dora Dore, Senior Lecturer and Associate Director of the East Asia Studies Program at Johns Hopkins University, joined the Reischauer Center for East Asian Studies to discuss her ongoing research on the coverage of protests in Hong Kong and how foreign (especially Western) media coverage has differed from that of Hong Kong-based outlets.

Dr. Dore argues that the extensive use of words such as ‘democracy’ and ‘freedom’ in Western media suggests a pro-democracy agenda. Meanwhile, these words are rarely used in Hong Kong-based outlets like the South China Morning Post (SCMP), or mainland Chinese outlets such as China Daily.

Dr. Dore also provided historical context regarding China’s constitutional ability to select the parameters for Hong Kong’s press freedom. She then noted the surprising similarities between the coverage of the protests in SCMP and China Daily, and closed by discussing her plans for future research.