Hyperlocal citizen journalism in Hong Kong: Resilience through community newspapers

Abstract

Despite severe political pressures on journalism and civil society after the implementation of the National Security Law in Hong Kong, over 20 community newspapers have continued their operation. Through content analysis of 60 issues of the papers and in-depth interviews with over 20 individuals involved in their establishment and operation, this study aims to unravel their intriguing resilience. Findings reveal that these papers adopted two non-confrontational content strategies: identity politics and life politics. On the one hand, by publishing “soft” content, they construct local identities and provide counternarratives to official discourse. On the other hand, they foster discussions on everyday life issues, bridging personal experiences with political engagement. Operationally, the voluntary nature and decentralized, collaborative structures cultivate a strong sense of community. We argue that community papers in Hong Kong represent an intersection of citizen journalism and hyperlocal journalism, which creates a unique resilience under political pressure.