1 Inside Youth Survey Hong Kong Youths Habits of Receiving Information about Mainland China and Taiwan 15 May 2012 Press Conference Co-organizers Research Support: FAS, HKIEdStudents Union, HKIEdRoundtable CommunityPowersoft Consultancy Limited Co-organized by Faculty of Arts and Sciences & Students Union of The Hong Kong Institute of Education, and Roundtable Community

2 Inside Youth Survey Hong Kong youth has been a heated talking point in recent years. Many people have different aspirations for our younger generation. However, there is seldom research conducted from the youths perspective, examining their views towards different social issues. It is hard to define the concept of youth, because they are not a homogenous group but a heterogeneous one which constitutes a quarter of Hong Kongs population. Therefore, we should be open-minded in hearing their different ideas. As such, the FAS and the Students Union of the HKIEd and youth think tank Roundtable Community have co-organized a bi-monthly youth survey project named Inside Youth on issues that our youth has interests in. Volunteer research support service is kindly offered by Powersoft Consultancy Limitied.

3 Research Background and Method Background Concomitant with the continuing development of mainland China is the growing concern of Hong Kong youths with news about mainland China The official relations between Hong Kong and Taiwan are strengthening. In the society, Taiwan has become a tourist hotspot for Hong Kong youth, who are also attracted by its culture, politics, lifestyle and fashion. Aims: To understand the habits of Hong Kong youths in receiving information about mainland China and Taiwan

4 Research Background and Method Data collection and analysis First phase: The habits of Hong Kong youths in receiving information about mainland China Period: October 2011 Sample: 500 Hong Kong youths aged 15-34randomized telephone survey 272 HKIEd studentsonline survey within campus The response rate of the telephone survey is 16.7%, the margins of errors at 95% confidence level is ±4.38% Second phaseThe habits of Hong Kong youths in receiving information about Taiwan Period: 13 March-13 April 2012 Sample: 500 Hong Kong youths aged 15-34randomized telephone survey 244 HKIEd studentsonline survey within campus The response rate of the telephone survey is 11.6%, the margins of errors the 95% confidence level is ± 4.38% To ensure representativeness of the data, we have conducted data weighting according to the demographic characteristics surveyed by the Census Department. Data collection of the telephone survey was conducted by Hong Kong Rehabilitation Power, and was supervised by the Powersoft Consultancy Limited

5 15.9% of respondents expressed interest in information about mainland China. 27.1% of respondents expressed interest in information about Taiwan. Are you interested in information about mainland China and Taiwan? The Habits of Receiving Information about Mainland China and Taiwan

6 A majority of respondents spent less than half an hour per day to search for information about mainland China and Taiwan 68.3% and 55.4%. How much time do you spend per day on search and reading information about mainland China and Taiwan? The Habits of Receiving Information about Mainland China and Taiwan

7 Less than 20% of respondents would share interesting information about mainland China and Taiwan with others 13.4% and 12.8% respectively. After receiving some interesting information about mainland China and Taiwan, how often do you share them with others? The Habits of Receiving Information about Mainland China and Taiwan

8 For information about mainland China, respondents were most concerned with peoples livelihoods 34.2% and economics 32.4%. For information about Taiwan, respondents were most concerned with entertainment/ culture/ arts 55.9% and everyday life information 40.3%. Which kinds of information are you most concerned with? maximum 3 options The Habits of Receiving Information about Mainland China and Taiwan

9 Nearly 60% of respondents received Taiwan information out of personal interests 58.2%, followed by leisure 37.4% and consumption 14.2%. Also, nearly 60% of respondents received mainland Chinese information out of personal interests 56%, followed by leisure 28.5% and studies 17.9%. Why do you receive information about mainland China and Taiwan? maximum 3 options The Habits of Receiving Information about Mainland China and Taiwan

10 Respondents mainly received Taiwan information from online media 51.6%, television 44.2% and newspapers and magazines 31.2%. Respondents mainly received mainland Chinese information from television 59.6%, online media 51.4% and newspapers and magazines 38.5%. What is your main channel of information about mainland China or Taiwan? maximum 3 options The Habits of Receiving Information about Mainland China and Taiwan

11 An overwhelming majority of respondents received information about mainland China or Taiwan from local media (95.5% and 91.4% respectively). Only 18.2% and 18.3% received information from mainland Chinese or Taiwanese media for China information or Taiwan information respectively. Overall speaking, where do you receive information about mainland China/ Taiwan from? Local media, mainland Chinese/ Taiwan media, or foreign media? multiple options The Habits of Receiving Information about Mainland China and Taiwan

12 Nearly 60% of respondents found it easy and very easy to look for information about Taiwan 59.1%. Nearly 40% of respondents found it easy and very easy to look for information about mainland China 40.5%. Is it easy for you to look for information about mainland China/ Taiwan in Hong Kong? Opinions Towards Media Coverage on mainland China and Taiwan

13 Asked whether the Hong Kong mainstream have adequate coverage on mainland China and Taiwan, 59.2% 50.1% of respondents said so-so respectively. Do you find Hong Kong mainstream media coverage on mainland China/ Taiwan adequate? Opinions Towards Media Coverage on mainland China and Taiwan

14 With regard to information about China, respondents found politics 10.4%, peoples livelihoods 8.8% and education 3.9% the most inadequate. With regard to information about Taiwan, respondents found peoples livelihoods 6.2%, politics 4.8% and everyday life information 3.4% the most inadequate. Which kinds of information about mainland China and Taiwan do you find inadequate? maximum 3 options Opinions Towards Media Coverage on mainland China and Taiwan

15 Conclusion 1.Respondents were most concerned with information about mainland Chinas peoples livelihoods and economics. For information about Taiwan, they were most concerned with everyday life information 40.3% and entertainment/ culture/ arts 55.9% Respondents have relatively little interest in political information of mainland China and Taiwan, with the interest rates at 19.2 and 21.8% respectively. 2.Over 90% of respondents relied on local media to receive information about mainland China and Taiwan (95.5% and 91.4% respectively). Only 18.2% and 18.3% of respondents relied on mainland Chinese media and Taiwanese media to look for information. 3.Respondents did not spend much time on searching and reading information about mainland China and Taiwan. A majority of them spent less than half an hour per day to do so 55.4% for China information and 68.3% for Taiwan information In other words, respondents spent more time on information about mainland China. 33.9% of respondents spent more than half an hour on China information, while 24.3% of respondents did the same for Taiwan information. 4.A majority of respondents found the Hong Kong mainstream media coverage on China and Taiwan information inadequate. 50.1% and 59.2% said the medias performance in this area was so-so. With regard to China information, the respondents found politics 10.4%, peoples livelihoods 8.8% and education 3.9% the most inadequate. With regard to Taiwan information, the respondents found peoples livelihoods 6.2%, politics 4.8% and everyday life information 3.4% the most inadequate.

16 Recommendation 1. More exchange activities to Taiwan Hong Kong youths are not only attracted by Taiwans tourism but also by its culture, politics, lifestyle and fashion. In recent years, many Hong Kong youths have gone to mainland China for exchange, but relatively fewer people went to Taiwan. In this regard, the government, schools, and other related organizations may consider offering more exchange activities to Taiwan. For example, to launch working holiday program with the Taiwan authorities. 2.Increasing media coverage on mainland China and Taiwan In face of increasingly closer relations among mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, our youths need to know more information about mainland China and Taiwan. As Hong Kong mainstream media is the main source of information of our youth, they may consider tapping on our youths demand by increasing coverage on mainland China and Taiwan, instead of too concentrating on local news.

17 Age and Gender (First Phase) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Age distribution: (14.4%) (17%) (25.8%) (42.8%) Gender distribution 49.8% female 50.2% male Hong Kong youth aged 15-34

18 Education (First Phase) About half the respondents graduated from tertiary education Hong Kong youth aged 15-34

19 Occupation (First Phase) 62.4% of respondents were full-time employees, followed by 18.6% students Hong Kong youth aged 15-34

20 Age and Gender (Second Phase) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Age distribution: (30.2%) (21.8%) (13.6%) (34.4%) Gender distribution: 56.8% female 43.2% male Hong Kong youth aged 15-34

21 Education (Second Phase) 60.8% of respondents graduated from secondary school, followed by 38.4% who graduate from tertiary education Hong Kong youth aged 15-34

22 Occupation (Second Phase) 43.4% of respondents were students followed by 37% full-time employees Hong Kong youth aged 15-34