ENG-1959 — Page 315

Chapter 16: Press, Publishing, Broadcasting, Films and Tourism

PRESS

HONG KONG has a large and active press. At the end of 1959, 187 periodicals and publications of all kinds were listed by the Registrar of Newspapers. Not all of these were daily newspapers, and newspapers proper, including weekly ones, accounted for only forty nine of the total registered, the remainder being, mainly magazines of different kinds. A list of some of the leading publica- tions is at Appendix XXI.

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The vast majority of these newspapers and periodicals are published in the Chinese language. There are only a dozen English- language publications in both categories.

The extent of readership is unknown. Unofficial estimates put the total circulation of Chinese-language newspapers (morning and afternoon) in the region of half a million copies a day. Since audited circulations and certified net sale figures are unknown, this estimate must be taken with reserve.

Eighteen of the Colony's newspapers are members of the News- paper Society of Hong Kong and may be regarded as the principal newspapers of the Colony. Among Chinese morning newspapers, recognized leaders are the Wah Kiu Yat Po (Overseas Chinese Daily News), Sing Tao Jih Pao and Kung Sheung Yat Po (In- dustrial & Commercial Daily), all of which maintain a good balance between foreign and local news and are, generally speak- ing, non-partisan politically. All three also publish afternoon editions. A popular non-political daily which has no afternoon edition is the Sing Pao. Orthodox Chinese communist policies are voiced in the Ta Kung Pao, Wen Wei Pao and New Evening Post, whilst the Hong Kong Times speaks for the Nationalist regime in Taiwan. Other Chinese newspapers which are members of the Newspaper Society are the New Life Evening Post and Hung Look Daily News, as well as the bilingual Daily Commodity Quotations.

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