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SFU Thesis Template Files Uncovering Conceptions of “Journalism Crisis” in Singapore and Hong Kong: When State Influences Interact with Western Liberal Ideals in a Globalizing Media Landscape by Shangyuan Wu M.A., Simon Fraser University, 2010 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the School of Communication Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology Shangyuan Wu 2016 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY Fall 2016 Approval Name: Shangyuan Wu Degree: Doctor of Philosophy Title: Uncovering Conceptions of “Journalism Crisis” in Singapore and Hong Kong: When State Influences Interact with Western Liberal Ideals in a Globalizing Media Landscape Examining Committee: Chair: Shane Gunster Associate Professor Yuezhi Zhao Senior Supervisor Professor Robert Hackett Supervisor Professor Katherine Reilly Supervisor Assistant Professor Adel Iskandar Internal Examiner Assistant Professor School of Communication Joseph Chan External Examiner Professor School of Journalism and Communication Chinese University of Hong Kong Date Defended/Approved: September 8, 2016 ii Ethics Statement iii Abstract The topic of journalism crisis has become increasingly pertinent as criticisms mount against news media systems that have prioritized private over public interests and/or failed to meet the challenges brought on by the Internet. Much research on journalism crisis, however, is set in the US and couched within a liberal-democratic ideological framework; little is known about how journalism crisis is articulated and experienced in other parts of the world. This thesis, therefore, aims to expand the literature on “journalism crisis” by considering how it is conceived by journalists in societies that may be heavily influenced by Western liberal ideals but whose media systems continue to be subjected to some form of authoritarian control or influence. Establishing first that a journalism crisis must be studied at the ideological, material, and discursive levels, this study develops a journalism crisis framework that features as its dimensions the crisis narratives most commonly discussed in Western-centric literature. While noting the global nature of processes that stem from the West, like neoliberal capitalist expansion and cultural imperialism, this study highlights the selective adoption of liberal ideologies by countries outside the Western world, as imperial influences interact with local histories and cultures. Of specific interest are two cities in Asia – Singapore, a city-state, and Hong Kong, a Special Administration Region of the People’s Republic of China. Standing at important historical junctures – with the passing away of prominent statesman Lee Kuan Yew and the rise of the “Umbrella Revolution” – these two places offer interesting points of comparison as “global cities” and former British colonies that are both subjected to some form of authoritarian control. Through a comprehensive survey with 160 journalists and in-depth interviews, this study uncovers stark differences in the journalism crisis perceptions of news-workers in Singapore and Hong Kong, and argues the existence of a “crisis of legitimacy” narrative, pertaining to the system of governance, that must be accounted for when studying journalism’s decline outside of the Western context. Keywords: Journalism crisis; Singapore; Hong Kong; liberal democracy; neoliberalism iv Dedication I dedicate this work to my wonderful family back home in Singapore. I have accomplished this because of your unconditional love and support. v Acknowledgements A special thanks must first be given to my senior supervisor, Dr Yuezhi Zhao, for giving me valuable feedback on my work and always pushing me to achieve my fullest potential. There have been many ups and downs in this journey and I am grateful for your ever-ready guidance and helping hand. To my second supervisor Dr Robert Hackett and supervisory committee member Dr Katherine Reilly, thank you for accompanying me in this scholarly endeavour and offering me valued responses to my work. I would also like to thank my external examiner, Dr Joseph Chan from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and my internal examiner, Dr Adel Iskandar, for offering me very helpful feedback on my research. I have appreciated the intellectual advice that everyone on my committee has given me; if there are instances in this thesis that I have deviated from your suggestions, they are my humble attempts at developing my own perspectives. This research would also not be possible without the help of the 160 journalists who so kindly agreed to take part in my survey and the 22 senior journalists and editors who met up with me face-to-face for interviews amid their busy schedules. It warms my heart to see that journalism is a profession filled with people who truly care – about the state of their profession, about their contributions to society, and about offering a helping hand to a researcher they do not even know. They say it is the people that make up the profession, and I am so proud to be a part of this journalistic community. In addition, I want to offer my thanks to the academic faculty from Singapore and Hong Kong who agreed to meet with me for interviews. Dr Ang Peng Hwa, Ms Lau Joon-Nie, and Ms Hedwig Alfred from Nanyang Technological University, Dr Cherian George from Hong Kong Baptist University, and Dr Joseph Chan and Dr Francis Lee from the Chinese University of Hong Kong – the insights you gave me about the state of news and journalism in your cities have been invaluable in my research. Lastly, I would also like to thank the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the SFU School of Communication for their financial support of my research. vi Table of Contents Approval .......................................................................................................................... ii Ethics Statement ............................................................................................................ iii Abstract .......................................................................................................................... iv Dedication ....................................................................................................................... v Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................ vi Table of Contents .......................................................................................................... vii List of Figures................................................................................................................. ix Chapter 1. Introduction ............................................................................................. 1 1.1. Theorizing “Journalism Crisis”: Understanding Conceptualizations of “Crisis” and its Ideological Underpinnings in the Anglo-American Context .............. 7 Defining “Crisis” and its Analysis ............................................................... 7 Foundations of the Dominant “Journalism Crisis”: Liberal Democracy as Ideological Principle ......................................................... 12 “Journalism Crisis” in America: Historicizing Multiple Crisis Narratives and their Intersections ............................................................ 15 Chapter 2. A Global Journalism Crisis or Not? That is the Question ................... 37 2.1. An Exploration into the Global Spread of (Neo)Liberalism .................................... 37 2.2. So Where does Asia Fit in? .................................................................................. 44 2.3. Complicating the Concept of “Journalism Crisis”: When State Controls Interact with Western Liberal Ideals ...................................................................... 52 Chapter 3. A Tale of Two “Global Cities”: Contextualizing News and Journalism in Singapore and Hong Kong ............................................ 64 3.1. Singapore: An Economic Ally but an Ideological Challenger to the West .............. 66 3.2. Hong Kong: An Authoritarian “Big Brother” and a Liberal Outlook under Threat ................................................................................................................... 80 Chapter 4. Uncovering the Material and Ideological Aspects of Journalism Crisis: Laying the Methodological Groundwork .............. 97 4.1. Research Questions ............................................................................................. 99 4.2. Methodology ....................................................................................................... 104 Chapter 5. Journalist Perceptions of Crisis in Singapore: Findings and Analysis................................................................................................ 107 5.1. Journalist Workloads: As Journalism Goes Global/Digital ................................... 108 5.2. Perceived Issues of Concern in Journalistic Work .............................................. 109 5.3. Picturing an “Ideal” News Media System ............................................................ 119 5.4. Definitions of “Journalism Crisis” ........................................................................ 124 vii 5.5. Perceptions of US Journalism and the Liberal Press Model: In Crisis or Not in Crisis?............................................................................................................. 126 5.6. Perceptions of a Local “Journalism Crisis”: Explanations
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