Hongkongers who find news online more likely to support Occupy protests: survey
Study also finds almost half of residents do not trust the government, regardless of where they get their news
Hong Kong residents who primarily find their news online and regularly comment on the internet are far more likely to support the city’s ongoing pro-democracy protests, a new survey has found.
Nearly 75 per cent of respondents who regularly comment online support the campaign, known as the “umbrella movement”, while more than half of those who primarily read their news online are supporters.
The protests, now in their ninth week, were organised by Occupy Central and student groups and have been led by students.
Of more than a thousand people surveyed by the University of Hong Kong’s public opinion programme, 55 per cent said that they often read news online. That proportion grew to 95 per cent among respondents aged between 18 and 29.
The survey was commissioned by the Institute of Education. Isabella Ng Fung-sheung of the institute thinks there is a direct link between online activities and political activism.
“For instance, some of the Occupy protesters are organised by Hong Kong Golden, an online forum,” Ng said.
Almost half of all respondents, irrespective of where they get their news from, said they do not have faith in the Hong Kong government. Just under 26 per cent said they trust the government.