In my previous week of ASTU: Academic Writing course, one of the main focuses was studying and looking at Salam Pax’s blog, Where is Raed. Through this blog, Salam narrates his experiences of war terror in Iraq. Aimed at a Western audience, Salam creates a connection to US politics and government.
In relation, I want to point out the ongoing issue that’s currently happening in Hong Kong, the Umbrella Revolution (Link to a more detailed article regarding Vancouver’s contribution to the protest: http://www.theprovince.com/Vancouver+rally+backs+Hong+Kong+Umbrella+Revolution/10264936/story.html). Masses of university students are currently protesting the Government of Hong Kong in support of keeping the democratic system. In the heat of the protest, many students and innocent protestors are injured in the process. From tear gas to police brawls, the Hong Kong citizens are suffering both a physical and emotional fight.
https://thebulletwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/hong-kong-ralley.jpg
Like Salam Pax, an abundant of protestors and reporters are out in Hong Kong relaying the information to the rest of the world. An example would be live blogs. Here, many are contributing to the state of knowledge from one area to the next. In particular, blogger Vaudine England has been commenting on the relationship between Hong Kong and China since 2012. Unlike Iraq, Hong Kong allows for free speech and protest as long as it remains civil. All of this would not have been possible if it wasn’t for our current state of technology and social media. In fact, this crisis has garnered so much attention in the West that it has our Canadian government voicing an opinion. On a more global level, it has stirred up discussions and debates around the world, with people either supporting Hong Kong or China. Why do people care then? It is our social media and this circulation of information that feeds us this knowledge. In the mean time, the citizens of Hong Kong will just have to patiently wait until the final decision is made to either evolve into communism or remain democratic.
/Vinson Tam
References
- VANDERKLIPPE, NATHAN. “Dozens Injured, Arrested in Violent Hong Kong Clashes.” The Globe and Mail. Globe and Mail, With Wire Services, 3 Oct. 2014. Web. 6 Oct. 2014. <http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/clashes-with-police-erupt-at-hong-kong-protest-site/article20906765/>.
- Chappell, Chris. “What Is Happening in Hong Kong? Umbrella Revolution May Be Just the Beginning – The Epoch Times.” The Epoch Times. EPOCH TIMES, 3 Oct. 2014. Web. 6 Oct. 2014. <http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/996242-china-uncensored-hong-kongs-umbrella-revolution-may-be-just-the-beginning/>.
- England, Vaudine. “Hong Kong Suffers Identity Crisis as China’s Influence Grows.” The Guardian. The Guardian, 23 Mar. 2012. Web. 6 Oct. 2014. <http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/mar/23/china-hong-kong-identity-crisis>.
- HUME, JESSICA. “Trudeau Calls for Peace in Hong Kong.” Toronto Sun. NATIONAL BUREAU, 2 Oct. 2014. Web. 7 Oct. 2014. <http://www.torontosun.com/2014/10/02/trudeau-calls-for-peace-in-hong-kong>.
BLOG LIVE STREAM: http://live.aljazeera.com/Event/Hong_Kong_protests_3
Hi Vinson!
It is certainly a very exciting time in Hong Kong right now — what comes out of the protest will shape Hong Kong’s future in the years to come. I guess we both have a lot to say about the political aspect of what’s going on, but since this is a blog on life narratives, we should talk about that some other time.
It’s interesting how we, living outside Hong Kong and unable to witness the event in person, learn about what’s happening. For me personally, my primary news sources are the BBC and CBC, because I know that from them I will get reliable, complete, and impartial news coverage. Less important, but still valuable, sources would be individual bloggers, social media and local media (local here referring to Hong Kong, not Vancouver); the former two are great for gaining on-the-ground insights, particularly the mood on the ground, because they often come from the protesters themselves, in spite of them not being trained reporters. Local media are less reliable because, having lived in Hong Kong for quite some time, I know that most Hong Kong media companies engage in self-censorship and produce stories that are biased to favour the Chinese viewpoint. (Doesn’t what I’m doing remind you of the father in Persepolis? He doesn’t trust the Iranian state television and would rather tune in to the BBC for news of his own country.)
I think we’re fortunate to live in this technologically advanced age, with such a variety of ways to both get and spread information. Each medium has its own pros and cons, and they’re learning from each other. The live blog you cited is run by Al Jazeera, an established international news organization, while utilizing social media such as Twitter and YouTube. On the other hand, some blogs have become more professional that they resemble an online newspaper, an example being The Huffington Post. The line between traditional and online media is getting ever more blurry as new ways of spreading news around the world continue to emerge.
Jeff