This course is designed to prepare students to work as local citizen journalists in the context of emerging personalized media and diminishing public trust in traditional media. The civil society is vibrant and dynamic. It is therefore theoretically critical and practically important that students become aware of such journalistic practices and their impacts on the structure and processes of social activism, political involvement and public life in Greater China in general and in Hong Kong in particular.

Course Aims

The students will discover how digital media, especially social media (e.g., smart-phones, blogs, micro-blogs, discussion forums, social networking sites, and etc.) empower citizens to express their views or report on various issues and to be actively engaged in public affairs on a daily basis. They will examine the interplay between citizen participation in public affairs and journalism in Hong Kong and Greater China, with particular emphasis on such issues and problems as public transportation, urban development, street safety, public health, democracy and elections in recent years. Students will have hands-on opportunities in and out of class to observe and conduct journalism-related activities in public affairs.