December 2014 – Information to opinion

We live in a world full of information and we have never had so many channels through which to receive that information. In this issue we take a look at how information can shape opinion by looking through the lens of the Umbrella Movement.

Many say the Occupy Movement has created a more divided society – a split between liberal progressive youth and their conservative middle-aged elders. We try to see how the “generation gap” relates to their respective media consumption.

The Occupy Movement has seen a mass of live reports and updates from the occupied zones – some of them accurate, some of them less so and more of them false. Facebook posts and WhatsApp messages about police clearances and other developments quickly went viral. We hear about how the tensions created by rumours can lead to false moves and overreaction.

Hong Kong has long prided itself on the free flow of information and a free press. This is one of the things that attracts young people from mainland China, some of whom only realised how severe censorship was in the Mainland after they came here. We ask whether having free and open access to information leads to a change in political outlook among young Mainlanders living and working in the city.