RIGHT-CENTER BIAS
These media sources are slightly to moderately conservative in bias. They often publish factual information that utilizes loaded words (wording that attempts to influence an audience by appealing to emotion or stereotypes) to favor conservative causes. These sources are generally trustworthy for information but may require further investigation. See all Right-Center sources.
- Overall, we rate Apple Daily Right-Center Biased based on editorial positions that moderately favor the right. We also rate them Mostly Factual for reporting rather than High due to the publication of an alleged fake report.
Detailed Report
Bias Rating: RIGHT-CENTER
Factual Reporting: MOSTLY FACTUAL
Country: Hong Kong
Press Freedom Rating: LIMITED FREEDOM
Media Type: Newspaper
Traffic/Popularity: High Traffic (when online)
MBFC Credibility Rating: HIGH CREDIBILITY
History
Founded in 1995 by entrepreneur and activist Jimmy Lai, Apple Daily was a Hong Kong-based pro-democracy newspaper. Jimmy Lai stepped down as director and chairman of the board of Next Digital (owner) after he was arrested on 10 August 2020 by the Hong Kong police on charges of violating the territory’s new national security law. In April 2021, he was sentenced to an additional 14 months in prison for “organizing illegal protests.”
As a result of Apple Daily’s editorial positions that favor pro-Democracy independence from China, Hong Kong police’s national security unit arrested company executives on 17 June 2021 for allegedly violating the national security law and froze the assets of the company and Jimmy Lai, this caused the paper to cease publication on June 24, 2021.
In December 2020, Lai was awarded the “Freedom of Press Award” by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) for his role in founding Apple Daily; they claimed that under Lai’s pro-democracy leadership, they “still dared to openly criticize the Chinese regime and which widely covered last year’s pro-democracy protests.”
Read our profile on Hong Kong media and government.
Funded by / Ownership
Next Digital owned/owns Apple Daily, and revenue was derived through advertising and subscriptions when in operation.
Analysis / Bias
Apple Daily served as a pro-Democracy newspaper advocating for Hong Kong’s independence and freedom of speech from China. Over the last year, they covered the Hong Kong protests from an anti-Chinese government perspective. They also opposed the Hong Kong government and police for their alignment with the Chinese government. To learn more about what Apple Daily meant to Hong Kong and the media, please read this article: What Apple Daily Means for Hong Kong.
Editorially, Apple Daily was fiercely anti-communist with political views that align with the right. For example, the Apple Daily supported former President Trump with opinion pieces that read, “a vote for Trump is not only for the Americans’ own interests, but it is also one that is for the survival of the free world,” complaining of the “leftist ideology permeated in Western academia and journalism.” Further, the newspaper published an investigation into Hunter Biden and Communist China that a fake intelligence firm wrote. In general, Apple Daily was an extremely important paper, that with its closing, spells the end of press freedom in Hong Kong.
Failed Fact Checks
- None found
Overall, we rate Apple Daily Right-Center Biased based on editorial positions that moderately favor the right. We also rate them Mostly Factual for reporting rather than High due to the publication of an alleged fake report. (D. Van Zandt 6/28/2021) Updated (05/08/2022)
Source: https://hk.appledaily.com/
Last Updated on May 12, 2023 by Media Bias Fact Check
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Left vs. Right Bias: How we rate the bias of media sources