Security crisis

The pre-WTO period focused mainly on logistic and security issues; the underlining assumption was that it would affect the public order, and some demonstrators would be violent. Some examples of the stories were

1. bank security alert: examples 1. apple daily; 2. mingpao; 3. mingpao VS 4. SCMP; 5. singtao

Apple daily stressed "高度戒備", mingpao use the word "怕" to describe the bankers which is contradictory to SCMP's headline "Banks can withstand protests: authority"; singtao just focused on the actual effect of "停業". It is rather clear that both apple and mingpao had intentionally created a sense of panic in their headline and lead, the phrase "高度戒備" can still be accept as a coloured fact about the security alert imposed by the government, however, the judgement of "怕" was a induction of the bank guideline.

2. gas masks sold out: examples 1. apple daily; 2. mingpao; 3. singtao

The production of this story is amazing; it originated from a french news agency quoting sources from the police. Although the "mysterious buyers" were the reporters themselves, most of the chinese newspapers decided to pack a story from an obviously misleading report.

The apple daily did not have a full story on the gas masks, however decided to put it together will all the rumours giving out by the police about the possible action by "anarchists". But the newspapers was decent enough to say that everything were "worries" and "rumours".

Mingpao had an independent news, stressing that the sources came from foreign newswire (the local reporters must have known that they are the buyers). However, the story quoted the newswire without questioning its credibility.

Singtao packed the story into a "detective story", by putting "mysterious buyers" on the headline, then the reporters acted as detective and found out that most of the buyers actually were from the local and probably reporters. Why didn't the editors put their reporter's finding on the headline?

3. anarchists: examples 1. apple daily; 2. mingpao; 3. singtao; 4. SCMP

Only mingpao has a special taste for anarchists, and it is rather amazing that on Dec 17, SCMP's reporters diary said that there was no sight of the anarchists while mingpao claimed its sources from the police that anarchists had arrived "殺到香港". Before this false "breaking news", the reporters had tried to pack a story of the potential threat of anarchists by interviewing the Korea demonstrators.

Singtao treated anarchists as background stories or police preparation; apple daily treated the topic as "rumour".

4. police image

• shame on Hong Kong / 香港之恥

Actually, Bishop Zen has never said "香港之恥". The context of his feeling ashamed was the way how the protestors were treated (see apple daily direct quote). However, both mingpao and apple daily used "香港之恥" as headline on dec 19.

For singtao, it did not treat Bishop zen's comment as independent story, but packed it as a counter opinion to Chief executives Donald tsang's comments about "shouldn't tolerate police assault" which made the headline of the article on dec 19.

As for SCMP, it missed Bishop Zen's comments on dec 19 and picked it up only until dec 22, trying to clarify what he actually said.

Most of the stories followed (except the clarification of bishop Zen on what he felt ashamed about) were about the police reaction on the "shame on Hong Kong" comment, saying that Bishop Zen was justifying violent protest.

1. mingpao; 2. apple daily; 3. singtao; 4. SCMP

• beanbag bullets

Both singtao and minpao put the beanbags story on the police press release that they have committeed "small mistakes"; singtao has several stories, the headlines were police clarification. SCMP placed more stress on human rights perspective, including no warning, and excessive violenct. Apple daily reported from the perspective of demonstrators stressing the side-effect of police violence on demonstrators: vivid depiction of the wounds and police action agitating the demonstrators.

1. singtao; 2. mingpao; 3. apple; 4. scmp

• December 15: police shields

Singtao and mingpao have very detailed and vivid report on the police shields, as well as police reation on the issue; Mingpao, even has a series of photos showing the steps for getting a shields, as if the korean are winning the "champion" from the police. the chinese world shield "牌" is affiliated with "metal". There for getting "metal" from police implies winning over the police. The symbolism is shared between chinese and korean in this case.

SCMP has missed this cultural gimmick. They just used one sentence to describe the taking away of 15 shields and placed the police reaction as the headline.

1. singtao; 2. mingpao; 3. apple; 4. scmp

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