The History of Hong Kong IV：The Newspaper Industry in Hong Kong

The Chinese press in Hong Kong sprang up like mushrooms after the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. Since 1949, various powers have been operating newspapers in Hong Kong, giving rise to propaganda warfare. While the traditional major newspapers continued to thrive, some characteristic tabloids also emerged as important leisure reading materials for the public. In addition, afternoon and evening newspapers became part of the everyday lives of people. It is common to see people reading different kinds of newspapers and periodicals after a meal and on the ferry.

Furthermore, fledgling newspapers such as Sing Pao Daily News became increasingly market-oriented, largely covering the topics people are fond of. It even surpassed the traditional major newspapers later in terms of sales volume and grew to be the most popular newspaper. Ming Pao Daily News, founded by Louis CHA, also attracted a group of intellectual middle-class readers after some hard work, and claimed a spot among mainstream newspapers.

The 1970’s represented a new era for the newspaper industry of Hong Kong as the idea of intellectuals running newspapers had been progressively replaced by commercialised operating models. This also led to another peak in the industry’s development.