Since the return of
Hong Kong to Chinese Rule, it has been a unique region in terms of
administration and legal system, embracing some characteristics of former
British rule while also edging closer to assimilation with the wider Chinese
state and its mandates. This assimilation reached a turning point in 2019 with
region-wide protests centered around a proposed move toward an increase in
democratic processes in Hong Kong in response to a bill allowing extradition of
Hong Kong citizens to the Chinese mainland, a rebuffing of Beijing’s control of
the area. The protests captured international attention as primarily younger
residents of Hong Kong took to the streets in an effort to delegitimize
mainland control. Older residents of the city more closely favored the Chinese
government and its regulations. Beijing countered the pro-democracy propaganda
of protestors with extensive use of the media. Agenda setting theory, the
theory of exposure learning, and dependency theory provide the lenses through
which the overall success of the Chinese government can be observed and
understood. Chinese media outlets framed the issue as one of disorder and
linked that disorder to foreign media and foreign governmental intervention.
China emphasized security and national sovereignty more explicitly and robustly
than demonstrators which lead to an increase in exposure to Beijing’s
viewpoints over pro-democracy propaganda. These elements were made all the more
successful by the dependency of the urbanized and industrialized population of
Hong Kong on the media for information and viewpoint dissemination. Dependency
theory and its effects during the demonstrations made agenda setting and
exposure learning more effective than they would have been alone in setting the
tone of the conversation around the future of Hong Kong. Chinese utilization of
media techniques and information dissemination ultimately proved successful in
promoting Beijing’s control of the region which demonstrates the importance of
mass media and its reach and effects in urban areas especially.
