Then & Now | Hong Kong journalism ‘looking back’ on local history has had its shortcomings, but today provides insight that can’t be found elsewhere
- Hong Kong journalists have long had a penchant for local history, and while it’s turned the odd urban myth into a false truth, their work is now priceless
- Old newspaper columns, in English, Chinese and Portuguese; and interviews with those born before electricity, paint a picture of old Hong Kong like nothing else
Nostalgia journalism and various forms of “looking back” have been Hong Kong newspaper staples since the late 19th century.
From thematic articles about whatever happened to pique an individual writer’s personal enthusiasm, to collations of curious local snippets, a perennial similarity persists – regurgitation of other people’s writings from long ago.
Reliance on secondary sources, combined with tight print deadlines, meant that little cross-checking of information was possible; urban myths and travellers’ tales quickly ossify into generally accepted “facts” after they have appeared in print a few times.
Broad-based subject knowledge was essential – a columnist needed to know the local past comprehensively, be able to fit various disparate information fragments into a cohesive story and – most importantly – know where to look to find supplementary information to flesh out the chosen theme.
Originality and contextualisation were key; at the end of the day, rehashed news headlines from half a century ago are merely that, and just help to fill half a page.
