Why Hong Kong’s traditional media is alive and kicking in the digital age
Keith Kam says the reading habits of Hongkongers have definitely gone electronic, but surveys reveal that they are actually seeking out online versions of trusted paid newspapers, with their insistence on verified facts
The rise of social networks and online media, together with the recent closures of some newspapers and magazines, have made it a “harsh winter” for print media, as the Hong Kong Journalists Association put it. In fact, “print media is dead” has been the most common refrain concerning the destiny of media over the past two years.
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But before asking whether print media has really entered intensive care or is on the verge of death, I think we need to clarify whether this “print media” refers to the traditional media, and whether it is limited to newspapers and magazines. The number of people buying newspapers may have gradually declined over the past three to four years, but the number of people who receive news from electronic newspapers has increased significantly, according to one survey.
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Electronic media and paid-for newspapers received higher ratings than free newspapers and online media in general, and online media received on average the lowest score for credibility among different media channels.
The higher the credibility [of paid newspapers and electronic media], the higher the web traffic
Clement So York-kee, a professor in the School of Journalism and Communication at CUHK, compared the credibility ratings with traffic statistics from online media and found a positive correlation between the credibility of paid-for newspapers and electronic media, and the traffic rankings of their websites. This implied that the higher the credibility, the higher the web traffic.