Democracy in the news: A comparative analysis of newspaper reporting in Hong Kong and mainland China from 2014 to 2019.

Abstract

This PhD thesis investigates the representation of the 2014 and 2019 Hong Kong protests in print media through a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative content analysis with qualitative thematic analysis. Grounded in the “protest paradigm” framework and its mechanisms, the study provides a comparative analysis of mainstream newspapers in Hong Kong and mainland China. The protest paradigm, long studied as a framework for understanding biases and templates in traditional protest reporting, serves as the foundation for this research. The findings suggest that both Hong Kong and mainland media exhibit common characteristics of the protest paradigm. However, Hong Kong media demonstrate a noticeable deviation from the protest paradigm by incorporating protesters’ voices, highlighting the critical role of the relationship between protesters and the media in shaping reporting paradigms. By contrast, elite-driven narrative dominates mainland media, reflecting how reporting is influenced by elite perspectives that reinforce their interests and strategies. This insight contributes to a deeper understanding of the interplay between political elites, media, and social movements as an interconnected system in the Chinese context. An analysis of the 2019 protest coverage suggests that Hong Kong media adopted a more positive tone, amplifying individual protester voices and focusing on the movements’ goals and actions. However, most reports framed the protests as expressions of dissatisfaction with the status quo, offering little in terms of actionable political alternatives. Meanwhile, the emergence of “terrorism-related” language in mainland coverage indicates heightened sensitivity to dissent. By portraying protests as threats to national security and delegitimizing protesters, this discourse enhances the protest paradigm as a social control mechanism that diminishes minority influence and challenges entrenched meanings within the framework. In conclusion, this research argues that ideological alignment with authority, rather than ideology alone, is a critical factor in determining adherence to the protest paradigm. Factors such as the nature, location, and type of protests significantly shape whether news coverage conforms to the protest paradigm (Harlow et al., 2020). Journalistic norms, perceptions of their roles as objective observers, and the influence of political agendas and openness also play a role in shaping protest reporting patterns in both contexts. Furthermore, external factors, such as the legitimacy of protesters, tolerance for protests at national or local levels, and attention from foreign entities (particularly Western forces), further influence how paradigmatic are applied in mainland China and Hong Kong.