FinanceAsia is a Hong Kong-based publication reporting on Asia’s financial and capital markets through a daily website and monthly magazine. It is a part of the Haymarket Group, the largest privately owned publishing company in the UK, created in part by Lord Heseltine, the former UK deputy prime minister.
The magazine was established in 1996 and is published 11 times a year. Each year FinanceAsia organises a number of events, awards dinners and conferences, including The FinanceAsia Annual Awards Dinner, The Country Awards Dinner and the Australian Deals of the Year Dinner.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Far Eastern Economic Review
The Far Eastern Economic Review is an English language Asian news magazine. The Hong Kong-based business magazine was originally published weekly on every Thursday. Due to financial difficulties, the magazine converted to a monthly publication in December 2004, and simultaneously switched to an arrangement whereby most articles are contributed by non-staff writers who have expertise in a given field, such as economists, business-community figures, government policymakers, social scientists and others. The magazine now publishes on the first Friday of each month, except in February and August.
FEER covers a variety of topics including politics, business, economics, technology, social and cultural issues throughout Asia, focusing on Southeast Asia and Greater China. The FEER primarily offers analysis and interpretation of financial, commercial and industrial developments. It also collects economic news and presents views and opinions in an attempt to improve the existing conditions in Asia. It has a reputation for emphasizing on local perspectives.
The magazine is now owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation who took over its previous owners, the business publisher Dow Jones & Company, in 2007.
FEER mainly targets markets in Hong Kong, Malaysia, and nearby regions in Southeast Asia. It reaches an elite group of readers from the government, the business world and the academic sector. According to the magazine circulation figures provided by on its official website, roughly 20,000 subscription copies are distributed in Southeast Asia, North America and Europe.
The magazine has a circulation of 93,055 , although those figures do not reflect a probable drop in circulation since the magazine's format change. From 28 September 2006, the magazine was banned in Singapore for failing to comply with conditions imposed under the amended Newspaper and Printing Presses Act .
Far Eastern Economic Review was started by Eric Halpern, an immigrant from Vienna, who initially settled in Shanghai and published Finance and Commerce, a biweekly business magazine. Later on, when China was in the midst of the Chinese Civil War, he decamped to Hong Kong and founded the weekly publication, FEER.
On 16 October 1946, FAR EASTERN ECONOMIC REVIEW was first issued as an Asian news magazine, based in Hong Kong. FEER set off its journalistic devotion by explaining how Asia grew into an economic powerhouse through day-to-day efforts and built a better life for themselves and the future generation.
The magazine roots to pre-war Shanghai. At the time, the city’s only English-language publication was “Finance and Commerce” whose senior editor was Eric Halpern. Although the civil war was still in full swing, Shanghai was liberated from Japanese occupation and Halpern decided that Hong Kong was the ideal location for setting up a new business magazine which focused on finance, commerce and industry.
After Halpern's retirement in 1958, Dick Wilson became chief editor and publisher. He operated an office in a colonial building along the waterfront where the now stands. During Wilson’s tenure, coverage of the magazine extended from China and Hong Kong into other regions around the world, from Japan to Australia to India and to the Philippines. The magazine was brimming with professional articles and reports supplied by cross-border top journalists and scholars.
In 1964, Wilson passed the editorial reins to Derek Davies, a journalist, who had served in the British Foreign Office. Under Davies, the magazine continued to attract contributions from many of the region’s leading journalists and developed a worldwide reputation as the leading source of news about Asia. After serving 25 years as senior editor, Davies’pose was succeeded by Philip Bowring, whose reports on business and economics set the standard for reporting complex dealings in Asia’s markets.
Besides qualified business reports, FEER was also the pioneer of independent journalistic establishments throughout Asia. Many of the articles from the first few decades were exclusive sources of information on the development of China, such as the report on Chairman Mao, the Cultural Revolution and the economic opening initiated by Deng Xiaoping. Despite the fact that journalists were not permitted to enter China during this period due to the era of authoritarian regimes, these covered events were still the core themes of the magazine.
These sample articles on the historical value and social interest of the development of Asian community show where the magazine's concern lies.
1)“Construction of tunnel connecting Hong Kong Island to Kowloon” by Sir Lawrence Kadoorie in a 1955 article
2)“1965 separation of Singapore and Malaysia” by Novelist .
3)“Philippine youth in revolt and Sir Y.K. Pao on fleet-building in Asia” by Benigno Aquino
The magazine continued to survive after the ownership was passed to the publishing company in 1973.
For the first issue, the inaugurator, Mr Halpern, declared a brief but enduring :
"''The purpose of this weekly economic publication is to analyze and interpret financial, commercial and industrial developments; to collect economic news; and to present views and opinions with the intent to improve existing conditions. Politics and economics being connatural, it will be inevitable that this publication may at times appear to transgress its primary objective by reporting on, and dealing with, political affairs. At any time and in every case unbiased and dispassionate, factual and balanced reporting will be our aim and policy.''"
The Review aims to report and analyze financial, commercial and industrial developments in the Southeast Asia and Pacific regions with specific emphasis on Hong Kong and China. It seeks to gather the most incisive and provocative commentary in Asia through leaders from every ideological stripe, background and profession. Articles were selected in accordance to their potential progress toward prosperity, security and well-being for all Asians. Besides free-lance contributions and viewpoints from professionals, FEER's journalists also travel around the region reporting from their own perspective with the intention to improve the local economic zone.
With reference to the article “” on the official website of Far Eastern Economic Review , chief editor Hugo Restall discusses four reports by FEER including “North Korean nuclear weapon program”, “Purchase of China Construction Bank by Bank of America”, “Fall of Indonesian rupiah” and “Japanese election”. By the detailed discussion of the four reports, Mr. Restall explains as being involved in journalism, one should have a skeptical stance. As it is written:
“''But as Ko Mishima and Robert Ward write in separate essays, despite the celebrations of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s new style of politics, there is reason to doubt how much substantive change lies ahead. ……it’s probably best to remain skeptical.''”
Hugo Restall -- Chief Editor
Hugo Restall, has served as the editor of FEER since ''October 2004''.
Previously he functioned as an editorial page writer on the editorial board of ''The Asian Wall Street Journal'' in April 1994, focusing on economic topics such as fiscal and monetary policies as well as market regulations. He graduated from Dartmouth College as a major in Asian Studies and during his time at Dartmouth, he was the editor-in-chief of ''The Dartmouth Review''. He also studied at Yunnan University, and thus is fluent in Chinese Mandarin . In ''1998'', he became the deputy editorial page editor of AWSJ and later in 1999 was promoted as the editorial page editor.
Mr Restall served as a member of the Abraham Lincoln Fellows organized by at 2004 in which seeking to promote an understanding of the moral basis of law, exemplified in the speeches and deeds of Abraham Lincoln. In ''2001'' and ''2003'', Mr. Restall was awarded by the twice for ''"Best Opinion Piece"''
Colum Murphy -- Deputy Editor
Colum Murphy became deputy editor of the FEER in ''March 2005''.
Previously he was a reporter at ''The Hong Kong Standard'', covering daily news to broaden public policy issues in Hong Kong. He also conducted researches and reports for various publications such as ''The Asian Wall Street Journal'', ''International Herald Tribune'', ''Newsweek'', ''Bangkok Post'' and ''Nihon Keizai Shimbun''.
He graduated from majoring in International Marketing and Japanese. He also holds a Masters in International Affairs from School of International and Public Affairs and a Masters of Commerce from .
Other Directors
Administrative Assistant: Florence Lau
Managing Director: Winnie Wong
Finance Director: Patrick Wong
Operations Director: Terence Ho
Advertising Director: Douglas Mulcock
Circulation Director: Zheng Yin
Circulation Marketing Director: Veronique Cornu
Circulation Operations Director: Lily Tong
*Messages from the Editor
*Letters and Responses
*From the Archives
*Essays
*Reviews
*The Gimlet Eye
*
FEER regularly publishes reports that cover key topics in Asia. These reports are informative and important to the marketers, businessmen and also academics.
"China's Elite" is a yearly side-publication by the FEER. Focusing on China's leading executives and their way of business, "China's Elite" is often praised as a valuable source of information on statistics, expectations and objective analysis obtained through in-depth interviews with leading businessmen in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.
The "Review 200" is a tied publication by the Far Eastern Economic Review which ranks the top 200 leading businesses across Asia on an annual basis. This publication is particularly useful for companies to see their own performance in the market, as well as keeping track of competition.
Respondents were asked to rank companies using a scale of one to seven on their overall leadership performance. Those who did not recognize a company’s name gave that company a score of zero. They were also asked to indicate which of the following criteria applied to listed companies:
"''high quality services or products, management with a long-term vision, innovative in responding to customers' needs, financially sound, a company that others try to emulate''"
Published every two years since 1989 by FEER, "Managing in Asia" provides entrepreneurs with a clear description and explanation of Asia's business position. The report offers valuable information in the aspects of economic outlook, business challenges and economic issues, personal investment, technology/office automation, brand perception, ownership of products, travel habits,etc.
The "Asia Lifestyles" is published in alternating years. It conducts surveys on business executives and questions their lifestyles, habits and aspirations. A written report concerning customer's behaviours and attitudes towards the various products and services are also published in accordance to the information obtained from surveys. It is especially informative and useful to the marketing field because the relevant parties gain a better understanding towards their products and services based on customer's opinions. As a result, companies have the advantage to prepare and accommodate with the rapid or unpredictable changes in the Asian market.
FEER regularly publishes special reports focused on topics which are relevant and significant to Asia.
For example, a special report on was published in its issue on July 15.
FEER regularly interviews government officials and other important people who have an impact in the region and the business world. In the past, FEER has interviewed Colin Powell, the US former Secretary of State , Kofi Annan, the Secretary-General of United Nations , Chen Shui-bian, the Taiwanese President , Bill Gates, Chairman and co-founder of Microsoft , and many more influential people. For details, you can refer to .
In 2002 and 2003, FEER was awarded the "Excellence in Specialized Reporting" by . In 2004, it was awarded the "Honourable Mention for Magazine Front Cover Design" by SOPA.
In 2005, it was awarded the "Excellence in Magazines" and "Honorable Mention for Reporting on the Environment" by the SOPA.
In late 1970s, Ho Kwon Ping, the Review's Singapore correspondent, was accused of endangering national security and fined $3,000. Lee Kuan Yew later charged FEER editor, Mr. Derek Davies, of participating in "a diabolical international Communist plot" to poison relations between Singapore and neighbouring Malaysia.
In the 1980s Lee banned the Review in Singapore after it published an article about the detention of Roman Catholic church workers.
In China the Review's correspondent, Serge Ivanovitch Kost, was arrested during the Cultural Revolution and sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment. He later emigrated to Australia.
In 2006, after the publication of an on Dr. Chee Soon Juan, an opposition politician and member of the Singapore Democratic Party, Singapore's prime minister Lee Hsien Loong and his father and minister mentor, Lee Kuan Yew, sued the publication for defamation alleging the magazine had suggested they were corrupt. The Financial Times urged the publication to fight the libel suit. Since the journal does not have assets in Singapore, the government subsequently demanded that the FEER and ''Newsweek'', '''', the ''Financial Times'' and the ''International Herald Tribune'' to appoint a legal representative and pay a S$200,000 security bond. After FEER failed to comply with government regulations, the Singapore government banned the sale and distribution of the journal and even having a subscription to the journal was made illegal. The ban does not extend to restricting access to the publication's website contents from Singapore, however. In July, 2007, the Court of Appeals rejected an application by the FEER to have a Queen's Counsel for representation. A Queen's Counsel would be a special British lawyer who would be granted temporary privileges to appear before the court even though they are not members of the Singapore Bar.
In the October edition, FEER published a special edition on Singapore. Referring to the recent ban, the journal's editor Hugo Restall asked: "So why is it still using repressive measures against a monthly magazine that employs a total of three full-time journalists and has 1,000 subscribers in the country?" Since FEER does not have any employee in Singapore, any legal action against the journal could be challenged in Hong Kong.
The journal furthermore has published all its correspondence with the legal council of Lee Kuan Yew and Lee Hsien Loong as well as the Singapore government on its website. At a news conference in Hong Kong, Hugo Restall said: "We are planning to defend the defamation lawsuits vigorously and look forward to having our day in court in Singapore” and attempted to have the libel suit nullified .
In response to the FEER editorial on the ban, Singapore's Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts advised the magazine to seek legal redress if it felt the Singaporean government has acted against the law. Just a day earlier, PM Lee had called for "responsible journalism" in his speech at the 7th Asian-European Editors' Forum . While he did not name any publication, its timing appeared to be aimed at FEER and other publications who had previous clashes with the Singapore government.
On September 24, 2008, , in a summary judgement by Justice Woo Bih Li, ruled that the Far Eastern Economic Review magazine-Hugo Restall, editor, defamed Lee Kuan Yew and his son, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. The court found the 2006 article "Singapore's 'Martyr': Chee Soon Juan" meant that Lee Kuan Yew "has been running and continues to run Singapore in the same corrupt manner as Durai operated NKF and he has been using libel actions to suppress those who would question to avoid exposure of his corruption." FEER has 30 days to appeal. The court sentenced FEER publisher and editor, owned by Dow Jones & Company , to pay damages to complainants.
The Young Inventors Awards began in ''2000'', it was organized by Far Eastern Economic Review in association with Hewlett-Packard . The purpose of the Awards program is to foster a spirit of scientific invention and innovation among students in the Asia-Pacific regions, including China, Philippines, Singapore, India and Australia. Students who win the award are socially recognized and financially supported for their outstanding efforts and projects.
FEER's annual Asian Innovation Awards is associated with Global Entrepolise @ Singapore, which honors Asia's emerging Technopreneur. Candidates for this award are judged against their innovative proposal as well as technological and commercial potential.
FEER covers a variety of topics including politics, business, economics, technology, social and cultural issues throughout Asia, focusing on Southeast Asia and Greater China. The FEER primarily offers analysis and interpretation of financial, commercial and industrial developments. It also collects economic news and presents views and opinions in an attempt to improve the existing conditions in Asia. It has a reputation for emphasizing on local perspectives.
Ownership
The magazine is now owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation who took over its previous owners, the business publisher Dow Jones & Company, in 2007.
Readership
FEER mainly targets markets in Hong Kong, Malaysia, and nearby regions in Southeast Asia. It reaches an elite group of readers from the government, the business world and the academic sector. According to the magazine circulation figures provided by on its official website, roughly 20,000 subscription copies are distributed in Southeast Asia, North America and Europe.
The magazine has a circulation of 93,055 , although those figures do not reflect a probable drop in circulation since the magazine's format change. From 28 September 2006, the magazine was banned in Singapore for failing to comply with conditions imposed under the amended Newspaper and Printing Presses Act .
History
Far Eastern Economic Review was started by Eric Halpern, an immigrant from Vienna, who initially settled in Shanghai and published Finance and Commerce, a biweekly business magazine. Later on, when China was in the midst of the Chinese Civil War, he decamped to Hong Kong and founded the weekly publication, FEER.
On 16 October 1946, FAR EASTERN ECONOMIC REVIEW was first issued as an Asian news magazine, based in Hong Kong. FEER set off its journalistic devotion by explaining how Asia grew into an economic powerhouse through day-to-day efforts and built a better life for themselves and the future generation.
The magazine roots to pre-war Shanghai. At the time, the city’s only English-language publication was “Finance and Commerce” whose senior editor was Eric Halpern. Although the civil war was still in full swing, Shanghai was liberated from Japanese occupation and Halpern decided that Hong Kong was the ideal location for setting up a new business magazine which focused on finance, commerce and industry.
After Halpern's retirement in 1958, Dick Wilson became chief editor and publisher. He operated an office in a colonial building along the waterfront where the now stands. During Wilson’s tenure, coverage of the magazine extended from China and Hong Kong into other regions around the world, from Japan to Australia to India and to the Philippines. The magazine was brimming with professional articles and reports supplied by cross-border top journalists and scholars.
In 1964, Wilson passed the editorial reins to Derek Davies, a journalist, who had served in the British Foreign Office. Under Davies, the magazine continued to attract contributions from many of the region’s leading journalists and developed a worldwide reputation as the leading source of news about Asia. After serving 25 years as senior editor, Davies’pose was succeeded by Philip Bowring, whose reports on business and economics set the standard for reporting complex dealings in Asia’s markets.
Independent journalistic establishments
Besides qualified business reports, FEER was also the pioneer of independent journalistic establishments throughout Asia. Many of the articles from the first few decades were exclusive sources of information on the development of China, such as the report on Chairman Mao, the Cultural Revolution and the economic opening initiated by Deng Xiaoping. Despite the fact that journalists were not permitted to enter China during this period due to the era of authoritarian regimes, these covered events were still the core themes of the magazine.
These sample articles on the historical value and social interest of the development of Asian community show where the magazine's concern lies.
1)“Construction of tunnel connecting Hong Kong Island to Kowloon” by Sir Lawrence Kadoorie in a 1955 article
2)“1965 separation of Singapore and Malaysia” by Novelist .
3)“Philippine youth in revolt and Sir Y.K. Pao on fleet-building in Asia” by Benigno Aquino
The magazine continued to survive after the ownership was passed to the publishing company in 1973.
Editorial
Editorial statement
For the first issue, the inaugurator, Mr Halpern, declared a brief but enduring :
"''The purpose of this weekly economic publication is to analyze and interpret financial, commercial and industrial developments; to collect economic news; and to present views and opinions with the intent to improve existing conditions. Politics and economics being connatural, it will be inevitable that this publication may at times appear to transgress its primary objective by reporting on, and dealing with, political affairs. At any time and in every case unbiased and dispassionate, factual and balanced reporting will be our aim and policy.''"
Editorial stance
The Review aims to report and analyze financial, commercial and industrial developments in the Southeast Asia and Pacific regions with specific emphasis on Hong Kong and China. It seeks to gather the most incisive and provocative commentary in Asia through leaders from every ideological stripe, background and profession. Articles were selected in accordance to their potential progress toward prosperity, security and well-being for all Asians. Besides free-lance contributions and viewpoints from professionals, FEER's journalists also travel around the region reporting from their own perspective with the intention to improve the local economic zone.
With reference to the article “” on the official website of Far Eastern Economic Review , chief editor Hugo Restall discusses four reports by FEER including “North Korean nuclear weapon program”, “Purchase of China Construction Bank by Bank of America”, “Fall of Indonesian rupiah” and “Japanese election”. By the detailed discussion of the four reports, Mr. Restall explains as being involved in journalism, one should have a skeptical stance. As it is written:
“''But as Ko Mishima and Robert Ward write in separate essays, despite the celebrations of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s new style of politics, there is reason to doubt how much substantive change lies ahead. ……it’s probably best to remain skeptical.''”
Editorial team
Hugo Restall -- Chief Editor
Hugo Restall, has served as the editor of FEER since ''October 2004''.
Previously he functioned as an editorial page writer on the editorial board of ''The Asian Wall Street Journal'' in April 1994, focusing on economic topics such as fiscal and monetary policies as well as market regulations. He graduated from Dartmouth College as a major in Asian Studies and during his time at Dartmouth, he was the editor-in-chief of ''The Dartmouth Review''. He also studied at Yunnan University, and thus is fluent in Chinese Mandarin . In ''1998'', he became the deputy editorial page editor of AWSJ and later in 1999 was promoted as the editorial page editor.
Mr Restall served as a member of the Abraham Lincoln Fellows organized by at 2004 in which seeking to promote an understanding of the moral basis of law, exemplified in the speeches and deeds of Abraham Lincoln. In ''2001'' and ''2003'', Mr. Restall was awarded by the twice for ''"Best Opinion Piece"''
Colum Murphy -- Deputy Editor
Colum Murphy became deputy editor of the FEER in ''March 2005''.
Previously he was a reporter at ''The Hong Kong Standard'', covering daily news to broaden public policy issues in Hong Kong. He also conducted researches and reports for various publications such as ''The Asian Wall Street Journal'', ''International Herald Tribune'', ''Newsweek'', ''Bangkok Post'' and ''Nihon Keizai Shimbun''.
He graduated from majoring in International Marketing and Japanese. He also holds a Masters in International Affairs from School of International and Public Affairs and a Masters of Commerce from .
Other Directors
Administrative Assistant: Florence Lau
Managing Director: Winnie Wong
Finance Director: Patrick Wong
Operations Director: Terence Ho
Advertising Director: Douglas Mulcock
Circulation Director: Zheng Yin
Circulation Marketing Director: Veronique Cornu
Circulation Operations Director: Lily Tong
Editorial section titles
*Messages from the Editor
*Letters and Responses
*From the Archives
*Essays
*Reviews
*The Gimlet Eye
*
Reports by FEER
FEER regularly publishes reports that cover key topics in Asia. These reports are informative and important to the marketers, businessmen and also academics.
"China's Elite" is a yearly side-publication by the FEER. Focusing on China's leading executives and their way of business, "China's Elite" is often praised as a valuable source of information on statistics, expectations and objective analysis obtained through in-depth interviews with leading businessmen in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.
The "Review 200" is a tied publication by the Far Eastern Economic Review which ranks the top 200 leading businesses across Asia on an annual basis. This publication is particularly useful for companies to see their own performance in the market, as well as keeping track of competition.
Respondents were asked to rank companies using a scale of one to seven on their overall leadership performance. Those who did not recognize a company’s name gave that company a score of zero. They were also asked to indicate which of the following criteria applied to listed companies:
"''high quality services or products, management with a long-term vision, innovative in responding to customers' needs, financially sound, a company that others try to emulate''"
Published every two years since 1989 by FEER, "Managing in Asia" provides entrepreneurs with a clear description and explanation of Asia's business position. The report offers valuable information in the aspects of economic outlook, business challenges and economic issues, personal investment, technology/office automation, brand perception, ownership of products, travel habits,etc.
The "Asia Lifestyles" is published in alternating years. It conducts surveys on business executives and questions their lifestyles, habits and aspirations. A written report concerning customer's behaviours and attitudes towards the various products and services are also published in accordance to the information obtained from surveys. It is especially informative and useful to the marketing field because the relevant parties gain a better understanding towards their products and services based on customer's opinions. As a result, companies have the advantage to prepare and accommodate with the rapid or unpredictable changes in the Asian market.
FEER regularly publishes special reports focused on topics which are relevant and significant to Asia.
For example, a special report on was published in its issue on July 15.
FEER regularly interviews government officials and other important people who have an impact in the region and the business world. In the past, FEER has interviewed Colin Powell, the US former Secretary of State , Kofi Annan, the Secretary-General of United Nations , Chen Shui-bian, the Taiwanese President , Bill Gates, Chairman and co-founder of Microsoft , and many more influential people. For details, you can refer to .
In 2002 and 2003, FEER was awarded the "Excellence in Specialized Reporting" by . In 2004, it was awarded the "Honourable Mention for Magazine Front Cover Design" by SOPA.
In 2005, it was awarded the "Excellence in Magazines" and "Honorable Mention for Reporting on the Environment" by the SOPA.
Censorship of the FEER
In late 1970s, Ho Kwon Ping, the Review's Singapore correspondent, was accused of endangering national security and fined $3,000. Lee Kuan Yew later charged FEER editor, Mr. Derek Davies, of participating in "a diabolical international Communist plot" to poison relations between Singapore and neighbouring Malaysia.
In the 1980s Lee banned the Review in Singapore after it published an article about the detention of Roman Catholic church workers.
In China the Review's correspondent, Serge Ivanovitch Kost, was arrested during the Cultural Revolution and sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment. He later emigrated to Australia.
In 2006, after the publication of an on Dr. Chee Soon Juan, an opposition politician and member of the Singapore Democratic Party, Singapore's prime minister Lee Hsien Loong and his father and minister mentor, Lee Kuan Yew, sued the publication for defamation alleging the magazine had suggested they were corrupt. The Financial Times urged the publication to fight the libel suit. Since the journal does not have assets in Singapore, the government subsequently demanded that the FEER and ''Newsweek'', '''', the ''Financial Times'' and the ''International Herald Tribune'' to appoint a legal representative and pay a S$200,000 security bond. After FEER failed to comply with government regulations, the Singapore government banned the sale and distribution of the journal and even having a subscription to the journal was made illegal. The ban does not extend to restricting access to the publication's website contents from Singapore, however. In July, 2007, the Court of Appeals rejected an application by the FEER to have a Queen's Counsel for representation. A Queen's Counsel would be a special British lawyer who would be granted temporary privileges to appear before the court even though they are not members of the Singapore Bar.
In the October edition, FEER published a special edition on Singapore. Referring to the recent ban, the journal's editor Hugo Restall asked: "So why is it still using repressive measures against a monthly magazine that employs a total of three full-time journalists and has 1,000 subscribers in the country?" Since FEER does not have any employee in Singapore, any legal action against the journal could be challenged in Hong Kong.
The journal furthermore has published all its correspondence with the legal council of Lee Kuan Yew and Lee Hsien Loong as well as the Singapore government on its website. At a news conference in Hong Kong, Hugo Restall said: "We are planning to defend the defamation lawsuits vigorously and look forward to having our day in court in Singapore” and attempted to have the libel suit nullified .
In response to the FEER editorial on the ban, Singapore's Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts advised the magazine to seek legal redress if it felt the Singaporean government has acted against the law. Just a day earlier, PM Lee had called for "responsible journalism" in his speech at the 7th Asian-European Editors' Forum . While he did not name any publication, its timing appeared to be aimed at FEER and other publications who had previous clashes with the Singapore government.
Defamation judgment
On September 24, 2008, , in a summary judgement by Justice Woo Bih Li, ruled that the Far Eastern Economic Review magazine-Hugo Restall, editor, defamed Lee Kuan Yew and his son, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. The court found the 2006 article "Singapore's 'Martyr': Chee Soon Juan" meant that Lee Kuan Yew "has been running and continues to run Singapore in the same corrupt manner as Durai operated NKF and he has been using libel actions to suppress those who would question to avoid exposure of his corruption." FEER has 30 days to appeal. The court sentenced FEER publisher and editor, owned by Dow Jones & Company , to pay damages to complainants.
Awards presented by FEER
The Young Inventors Awards began in ''2000'', it was organized by Far Eastern Economic Review in association with Hewlett-Packard . The purpose of the Awards program is to foster a spirit of scientific invention and innovation among students in the Asia-Pacific regions, including China, Philippines, Singapore, India and Australia. Students who win the award are socially recognized and financially supported for their outstanding efforts and projects.
FEER's annual Asian Innovation Awards is associated with Global Entrepolise @ Singapore, which honors Asia's emerging Technopreneur. Candidates for this award are judged against their innovative proposal as well as technological and commercial potential.
Easy Finder
Easy Finder was a weekly Chinese tabloid magazine which was first published on September 13, 1991 in Hong Kong. Published by Next Media Limited which is owned by Jimmy Lai. It stopped publishing on May 23, 2007. ''Easy Finder'' was commonly known to participate in Yellow journalism in collecting story ideas.
Initially, ''Easy Finder'' was a free supplementary booklet of ''Next Magazine'' which mainly provides information on new products. There was a section of job vacancy ads and a section of classified ads. The name of the magazine gives hints that it is originally more an information guide than a normal magazine. It became a separate magazine in 1991. The target readership of ''Easy Finder'' are youth and students.
Apart from ''Easy Finder'', two additional publications are included free of charge. Those three booklets cover the latest trends, for instance, fashion, hot gossip, horoscopes, food, , etc. The average net circulation per issue reached 118,720 according to Hong Kong Audit Bureau of Circulations.
''Easy Finder'' published its last issue on May 22, 2007. ''Eat and Travel Weekly'' and ''Trading Express/Auto Express'' continue to published and are included from issue No 801 with FACE Weekly, a new magazine under the same stable of Next Media. The official website of ''Easy Finder'' is now re-diverted to FACE Weekly's new website.
There are twelve sections in ''Easy Finder'':
#Ji Zone
#Easy Girl
#Manhuazuo
#Qingyunlu
#Touwenzi Evolution
#Yuletian
#Chaoliu Wucun
#Digi Finder
#Xinli Ceyan
#Zhan Me Life
#Bianli Bojing
#Bianli Zhuweng Guangchang
In order to attract teenage readers, this magazine uses a lot of Cantonese colloquial words which are very popular in leisure magazines in Hong Kong. Recent examples are "潮" and "界" . The use of colloquial Cantonese words, however, does not comply to traditional or 'correct' written Chinese grammar.
''Easy Finder'' maintains a heavy coverage of entertainment news. Since teenagers in Hong Kong are interested in local entertainment and show business, ''Easy Finder'' puts a lot of emphasis on entertainment news. Even when some of the reports are just rumors without solidity, they still appear on the cover if they are attractive and sensational enough.
''Easy Finder'' is a market-oriented publication which tries to supply for what it perceives to be what young people desire. Images of sexy or even half-naked models appear on the cover. It covers a lot of sensitive topics such as sex, drugs, and even suicide. Reports on crimes such as murder and prostitution are often seen in this magazine. Such negative but shocking topics are the selling points of this magazine and these have undoubtedly attracted young readers.
However, it has also raised strong argument among the society. Many people claim that such awful and sexual pictures and topics will bring serious and harmful effects to the teenagers. This makes ''Easy Finder'' the most controversial magazine in Hong Kong. A lot of people do not accept the magazine, but the circulation stands.
''Easy Finder'' publishes an electronic version via PDA version or via internet. In the electronic version, subscribers have access to not only the latest issue but also previous issues up to Issue 479 in archives. Personal Digital Assistant format is also available.
On June 25, 2002, Easy Finder was prosecuted by the Obscene Article Tribunal under Section 24 of the Hong Kong Control of Obscene and Indecent Articles Ordinance for publishing a picture of a naked girl in issue 570 without adding warning on the front page. The article's heading was "Cover Girl - tattoo at least once regardless of age" and it was classified as class II article . ''Easy Finder'' was eventually fined $10,000 and has accumulated 12 criminal records of the similar cases . As a result, Hong Kong Public Library ceased its subscription to the magazine in March 2003.
For instance, as a protest to its sex-related articles in the booklet of “情人節浪漫手冊” included in volume 366, Rev. Lo Sek Wai , the chief board member of Goodnews Communication International Ltd, urged for a boycott of ''Easy Finder'' and made a complaint to the Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority.
On August 22, 2006, Hong Kong tabloid magazine Easy Finder published a series of photos of Gillian Chung inside a changing room after a Twins concert at the Arena of Stars in Genting, Malaysia. The pictures were taken while she was in the changing room with her personal assistant. One of the cover photos shows Chung's bare back as she is fixing her bra backstage. Her breasts are not revealed. A second, smaller cover photo shows Chung undressed and naked from the shoulder up. Hong Kong celebrities such as Jackie Chan staged a public protest denouncing the magazine's irresponsible actions.
The Hong Kong Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority received 2,875 complaints regarding the revealing photos and the incident was referred to the Obscene Articles Tribunal for further action. On November 1, 2006, Easy Finder lost its appeal against an obscenity ruling on the published article and pictures . In the appeal, a panel consisting of one Magistrate and four lay members, upheld the judgement, branding the article obscene, and saying it was a "calculated act of selling sexuality which is corrupting and revolting" . During an interview of Jimmy Lai on the television show , he apologized to Gillian and claimed that he will return all the negatives of the photos.
History
Initially, ''Easy Finder'' was a free supplementary booklet of ''Next Magazine'' which mainly provides information on new products. There was a section of job vacancy ads and a section of classified ads. The name of the magazine gives hints that it is originally more an information guide than a normal magazine. It became a separate magazine in 1991. The target readership of ''Easy Finder'' are youth and students.
Apart from ''Easy Finder'', two additional publications are included free of charge. Those three booklets cover the latest trends, for instance, fashion, hot gossip, horoscopes, food, , etc. The average net circulation per issue reached 118,720 according to Hong Kong Audit Bureau of Circulations.
''Easy Finder'' published its last issue on May 22, 2007. ''Eat and Travel Weekly'' and ''Trading Express/Auto Express'' continue to published and are included from issue No 801 with FACE Weekly, a new magazine under the same stable of Next Media. The official website of ''Easy Finder'' is now re-diverted to FACE Weekly's new website.
Magazine sections
There are twelve sections in ''Easy Finder'':
#Ji Zone
#Easy Girl
#Manhuazuo
#Qingyunlu
#Touwenzi Evolution
#Yuletian
#Chaoliu Wucun
#Digi Finder
#Xinli Ceyan
#Zhan Me Life
#Bianli Bojing
#Bianli Zhuweng Guangchang
Positioning
In order to attract teenage readers, this magazine uses a lot of Cantonese colloquial words which are very popular in leisure magazines in Hong Kong. Recent examples are "潮" and "界" . The use of colloquial Cantonese words, however, does not comply to traditional or 'correct' written Chinese grammar.
''Easy Finder'' maintains a heavy coverage of entertainment news. Since teenagers in Hong Kong are interested in local entertainment and show business, ''Easy Finder'' puts a lot of emphasis on entertainment news. Even when some of the reports are just rumors without solidity, they still appear on the cover if they are attractive and sensational enough.
''Easy Finder'' is a market-oriented publication which tries to supply for what it perceives to be what young people desire. Images of sexy or even half-naked models appear on the cover. It covers a lot of sensitive topics such as sex, drugs, and even suicide. Reports on crimes such as murder and prostitution are often seen in this magazine. Such negative but shocking topics are the selling points of this magazine and these have undoubtedly attracted young readers.
However, it has also raised strong argument among the society. Many people claim that such awful and sexual pictures and topics will bring serious and harmful effects to the teenagers. This makes ''Easy Finder'' the most controversial magazine in Hong Kong. A lot of people do not accept the magazine, but the circulation stands.
Electronic Version
''Easy Finder'' publishes an electronic version via PDA version or via internet. In the electronic version, subscribers have access to not only the latest issue but also previous issues up to Issue 479 in archives. Personal Digital Assistant format is also available.
Controversies
Cover girl incident
On June 25, 2002, Easy Finder was prosecuted by the Obscene Article Tribunal under Section 24 of the Hong Kong Control of Obscene and Indecent Articles Ordinance for publishing a picture of a naked girl in issue 570 without adding warning on the front page. The article's heading was "Cover Girl - tattoo at least once regardless of age" and it was classified as class II article . ''Easy Finder'' was eventually fined $10,000 and has accumulated 12 criminal records of the similar cases . As a result, Hong Kong Public Library ceased its subscription to the magazine in March 2003.
Valentine's day romance guide
For instance, as a protest to its sex-related articles in the booklet of “情人節浪漫手冊” included in volume 366, Rev. Lo Sek Wai , the chief board member of Goodnews Communication International Ltd, urged for a boycott of ''Easy Finder'' and made a complaint to the Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority.
Gillian Chung dressing room incident
On August 22, 2006, Hong Kong tabloid magazine Easy Finder published a series of photos of Gillian Chung inside a changing room after a Twins concert at the Arena of Stars in Genting, Malaysia. The pictures were taken while she was in the changing room with her personal assistant. One of the cover photos shows Chung's bare back as she is fixing her bra backstage. Her breasts are not revealed. A second, smaller cover photo shows Chung undressed and naked from the shoulder up. Hong Kong celebrities such as Jackie Chan staged a public protest denouncing the magazine's irresponsible actions.
The Hong Kong Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority received 2,875 complaints regarding the revealing photos and the incident was referred to the Obscene Articles Tribunal for further action. On November 1, 2006, Easy Finder lost its appeal against an obscenity ruling on the published article and pictures . In the appeal, a panel consisting of one Magistrate and four lay members, upheld the judgement, branding the article obscene, and saying it was a "calculated act of selling sexuality which is corrupting and revolting" . During an interview of Jimmy Lai on the television show , he apologized to Gillian and claimed that he will return all the negatives of the photos.
East Week
East Week is a Hong Kong-based weekly Chinese language magazine which had been formally established by Oriental Group on October 29, 1992 and sold to the Emperor Group in September 2001. It is now owned by Global China Group Holdings Limited, and published by China Touch Media Solutions & Services Limited.
Upon its establishment, ''East Week'' has been viewed as the direct competitor against ''Next Magazine'' of Next Media Limited. However, ''East Week'' could not beat ''Next Magazine'' throughout the years as ''Next Magazine'' still remained as the top-sold magazine with around 150 thousand publications for each issue. So, Ma Ching Fat, Chairman of Oriental Group finally decided to sell the magazine to Emperor Entertainment Group, owned by Albert Yeung.
After Yeung had taken over ''East Week'', a revolution of the magazine took place. There was a significant change in the type of news story and the reporting method. Since it took advantage of the "freedom of democracy", it always used very sensational and controversial topics to attract customers. It reported stories like the sex life of the businessman Law Siu Fai and the extramarital affairs of David Li Kwok-po. Such stories became the gossip of the town after the reporting and aroused huge public awareness. However, its way of reporting such news has stirred up fierce social echoes. Law Siu Fai alleged that he had been cheated him in this issue. Also, Donald Tsang, the Chief Secretary of the , was angry with a news story in which his old chef was interviewed. This is because his private life was reported in that interview without his approval. At last, East Week apologized to the public and Donald Tsang, and paid 120 thousand Hong Kong dollars to Tsang as compensation, in order to avoid lawsuit.
Another tide of trouble came on 29 October 2002, the day of its 10th anniversary, the issue demonstrated a nude picture of a famous Hong Kong actress, Carina Lau Ka Ling. It was believed to be taken 12 years ago when she had been kidnapped in distress. The issue was sold out soon in the afternoon, and its price went up to $50 or $100. But there was no extra issue. It outraged the public, showbiz professionals, politicians and government officials. The showbiz professionals gathered together to go on strike and attacked the immorality of the magazine. Ms Lau was praised by the public for her bravery to come up and clarify the case.
On 3 September 2003, East Week was back on sale in the market with a renewed image to become an apparent rival of the entertainment magazines. The publication's ownership had switched from Albert Yeung's Emperor Group to Charles Ho Tsu Kwok's 's Global China Group Holdings Limited, which has its influence over several local newspapers, such as ''Sing Tao Daily'' and ''Hong Kong Standard'' . Mr. Ho Kwok Fai , CEO of China Touch, said that Mr. Lai Ting Yiu , who is currently the Executive Chief Editor of Sing Tao Holdings Ltd., had been appointed as the Editor-in-Chief of ''East Week'' to oversee the overall operations and editorial matters. The acquisition of East Week was because of its great business potential. It had grasped wide readership base and support from advertisers in the past ten years. It was believed that the new East Week would be capable of capturing a noteworthy market share after its re-launch. Ho Kowk Fai added that the investment to East Week was about 40 to 50 million Hong Kong dollars. Any money loss of the first four issues would be borne by a well-known supermarket chain, but its name was undisclosed. He expected that the company would start to make a profit within 1.5 to 2 years.
Besides ownership, East Week also seeks change in terms of editorial positioning. According to the official website, a balanced and objective approach would be adopted. Coverage of celebrity news would also aim to be more content-driven. Its task is to reveal the truth and concerns of all Hong Kong people. Ho Tsu Kowk said whether East Week entered the China market would depend on the regulations and laws of the mainland government.
With a new design and layout, the first issue of the revived magazine on 3 September 2003 featured Carina Lau Ka Ling, the actress of former controversy, in a discussion of her new movie, ''Infernal Affairs II'', and Anita Mui, in discussion of her seeking a famous oncologist.
East Week is published every Wednesday, in three sections:
*Entertainment
*Political, Social and Financial Issues
*Discovering Food in Hong Kong.
The cover price is HK$20.
Development
Upon its establishment, ''East Week'' has been viewed as the direct competitor against ''Next Magazine'' of Next Media Limited. However, ''East Week'' could not beat ''Next Magazine'' throughout the years as ''Next Magazine'' still remained as the top-sold magazine with around 150 thousand publications for each issue. So, Ma Ching Fat, Chairman of Oriental Group finally decided to sell the magazine to Emperor Entertainment Group, owned by Albert Yeung.
After Yeung had taken over ''East Week'', a revolution of the magazine took place. There was a significant change in the type of news story and the reporting method. Since it took advantage of the "freedom of democracy", it always used very sensational and controversial topics to attract customers. It reported stories like the sex life of the businessman Law Siu Fai and the extramarital affairs of David Li Kwok-po. Such stories became the gossip of the town after the reporting and aroused huge public awareness. However, its way of reporting such news has stirred up fierce social echoes. Law Siu Fai alleged that he had been cheated him in this issue. Also, Donald Tsang, the Chief Secretary of the , was angry with a news story in which his old chef was interviewed. This is because his private life was reported in that interview without his approval. At last, East Week apologized to the public and Donald Tsang, and paid 120 thousand Hong Kong dollars to Tsang as compensation, in order to avoid lawsuit.
Another tide of trouble came on 29 October 2002, the day of its 10th anniversary, the issue demonstrated a nude picture of a famous Hong Kong actress, Carina Lau Ka Ling. It was believed to be taken 12 years ago when she had been kidnapped in distress. The issue was sold out soon in the afternoon, and its price went up to $50 or $100. But there was no extra issue. It outraged the public, showbiz professionals, politicians and government officials. The showbiz professionals gathered together to go on strike and attacked the immorality of the magazine. Ms Lau was praised by the public for her bravery to come up and clarify the case.
On 3 September 2003, East Week was back on sale in the market with a renewed image to become an apparent rival of the entertainment magazines. The publication's ownership had switched from Albert Yeung's Emperor Group to Charles Ho Tsu Kwok's 's Global China Group Holdings Limited, which has its influence over several local newspapers, such as ''Sing Tao Daily'' and ''Hong Kong Standard'' . Mr. Ho Kwok Fai , CEO of China Touch, said that Mr. Lai Ting Yiu , who is currently the Executive Chief Editor of Sing Tao Holdings Ltd., had been appointed as the Editor-in-Chief of ''East Week'' to oversee the overall operations and editorial matters. The acquisition of East Week was because of its great business potential. It had grasped wide readership base and support from advertisers in the past ten years. It was believed that the new East Week would be capable of capturing a noteworthy market share after its re-launch. Ho Kowk Fai added that the investment to East Week was about 40 to 50 million Hong Kong dollars. Any money loss of the first four issues would be borne by a well-known supermarket chain, but its name was undisclosed. He expected that the company would start to make a profit within 1.5 to 2 years.
Besides ownership, East Week also seeks change in terms of editorial positioning. According to the official website, a balanced and objective approach would be adopted. Coverage of celebrity news would also aim to be more content-driven. Its task is to reveal the truth and concerns of all Hong Kong people. Ho Tsu Kowk said whether East Week entered the China market would depend on the regulations and laws of the mainland government.
With a new design and layout, the first issue of the revived magazine on 3 September 2003 featured Carina Lau Ka Ling, the actress of former controversy, in a discussion of her new movie, ''Infernal Affairs II'', and Anita Mui, in discussion of her seeking a famous oncologist.
Publishing details
East Week is published every Wednesday, in three sections:
*Entertainment
*Political, Social and Financial Issues
*Discovering Food in Hong Kong.
The cover price is HK$20.
East Touch
East Touch is a weekly Chinese language magazine written in Cantonese style in Hong Kong. It is published every Tuesday by East Touch Publishing Limited, part of Global China Group Holdings Limited.
'East Touch' is an infotainment publication targeting readers aged between 22 and 34. It covers stories of celebrities, entertainment news, fashion trends and lifestyle topics. A survey conducted by the Society for Truth and Light in Hong Kong showed that about 86.6% of the content of 'East Touch' is related to information about entertainment and consumption. According to the editorial board, the magazine regards men's fashion news as its top priority, followed by women's fashion news and lifestyle reports. Entertainment news is regarded as the least important priority.
The reporting style of 'East Touch' follows four guiding principles established by its owners. These four reporting principles distinguish 'East Touch' from other magazines targeted at trendy young people.
The magazine's competitors, namely, "Easy Finder", "East Week" and "3 Magazine" place considerably more emphasis on paparanzzi-type entertainment scoops and Category IIB photos of starlets. This is confirmed by statistics provided by the Hong Kong Press Council and the Hong Kong Journalists Association which show that no complaints have been filed nor condemnations issued against 'East Touch' this year.
The magazine faced the first great challenge in its colourful history when its 42nd issue was published on 29 March 1995. 'East Touch' was convicted and fined by the courts for publishing indecent articles about pornography, thereby falling foul of the Obscene Articles Tribunal and the Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority. The article judged indecent concerned a "Festival of Pornography", in which many sexual utilities and services were advertised without an accompanying warning that the magazine contained material which should not fall into the hands of persons under the age of 18. According to both the Tribunal and the Supreme Court, such an omission violated the Control of Obscene and Indecent Articles Ordinance. The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal made by the publisher in July 1996.
To date, no official figures have been published on the magazine's circulation numbers and market penetration. According to a survey of the reading habits of 15-29 years olds in Hong Kong conducted by Breakthrough, a non-profit Catholic youth organization in Hong Kong, in February 1999, however, 'East Touch' lagged behind its closest competitors. In the survey, 'Next Magazine', 'Easy Finder' and 'East Week' ranked top three, with 32.3%, 27.4% and 24.9% respectively.
'East Touch' was first published on 15 June, 1994 as a free magazine in 'East Magazine'. In its pilot form, 'East Touch' was named 'East City' and was wholly owned by the Oriental Press Group Limited .
The "Declaration of Foundation" in the 1st issue stated that the goal of the magazine was to be "rooted in Hong Kong, global in our outlook" . "Reformation" and "Innovation" were two further founding principles of the magazine.
'East Touch' first appeared as a stand-alone magazine on 6 June, 1995, its 51st issue. The editor noted that the new 'East Touch' embraced two new reporting principles - to create a new culture representing the new generation and to bring about reform and innovation with an open and creative mind. According to the 52nd issue, the re-launch of 'East Touch' was a great success. The initial print run of the 51st issue was sold out and more than one hundred thousand copies passed into circulation.
On 1 July, 1997, 'East Touch' published its 109th issue. Building on their founding principles, the editorial board created another slogan, "Forget 1997! Look ahead to the 21st century!" , in celebration of the handover.
Global China Group Holdings Limited acquired 'East Touch' in 2002. In its 348th issue, the first issue after the acquisition, the editor proclaimed four guiding editorial principles: to establish a unique culture in Hong Kong; to be a trend leader; to refuse pornographic materials; and to maintain a global vision.
The retail price of the 1st issue of 'East Touch' was HK$3. This price and the date when the 1st issue came out were especially chosen as the numbers 3 and 6 have the meaning of "endlessness" . The price rose to with the 11th issue so as "to reflect its real strength and worth in the market", according to the editorial board. The price rose further to with the 21st issue due to the increasing price of paper. The price rose again with the 45th and 59th issues to and respectively. It peaked at HK$15 with the 155th issue when 2 sub-booklets were added. After 'East Touch' was acquired by Global China Group Limited, the price dropped to with the 348th issue. The current selling price remains at .
Articles in 'East Touch' are written in colloquial Chinese and are often peppered with slangy Cantonese phrases and English words. The layout of 'East Touch' is very colourful with photos, pictures and graphics taking up equal, if not more, page space than words. The magazine's layout changes frequently in order to maintain freshness and to avoid any ‘detachment’ between authors and readers. However, such oral–oriented written discourse has been accused of polluting Modern Standard Chinese, and has been blamed by teachers and educators for the deteriorating language proficiency of Hong Kong's youngsters.
'East Touch' also makes frequent changes to the appearance and organisation of its contents, though the contents themselves remain largely the same. When it was first published, the magazine was unitary and was divided into four sections, namely 'First touch', 'Entertainment touch', 'Fashion & City touch' and 'Keep in touch'.
'East Touch' launched the present logo with Issue 437, which came out on 14 October, 2003. This new logo, incorporating the Chinese character "East" with the English words "East Touch", was chosen to reflect the magazine's very first logo. Before the present logo was launched, "East Touch" had changed the design of its logo six times.
A number of sub-booklets were subsequently published together with the main book.
*'Shopping G-Point' was first issued with the 125th issue in conjunction with 'G-Point Price', which provided discounts for readers buying trendy clothes, sneakers and accessiories.
*With the 153rd issue, 'Game Century' was published. This introduced the latest computer and video games and taught readers how to become skillful players. This later changed its name to 'Electric-king' with the 285th issue, and covered topics on a wide range of electrical appliances.
*'Look' was first issued with the 285th issue, and focused on fashion and lifestyle topics.
*'Sneakers' was first issued with the 317th issue, and introduced trends, design, brands and the price of sneakers.
*'Make-up Garden' was first issued with the 317th issue, and included make-up tips, make-up demonstrations, a new cosmetics product review and interviews with artists and models.
*'Brands' was first issued with the 348th issue, and introduced brand products in fashion.
*'Cat's' was first issued with the 355th issue, and mainly contained stylish pictures of the latest fashion products.
*'OK!week' was first issued with the 370th issue, and reported the hottest entertainment news of the previous week.
*'Green weekly' was first issued with the 390th issue, and focused on fashion trends.
Today, "East Touch" is divided into two books.
The main book has five sections, namely ''Begin'', ''Entertainment'', ''Babe'', ''Knock'', and ''Relax''.
*''Begin'' section discusses the hottest topics from around the world during the previous week in the relaxed tone generally found in infotainment magazines.
*''Entertainment'' section reports on recent local and international entertainment news. This includes interviews with celebrities, features on upcoming movies and TV series, and CD reviews.
*''Babe'' section contains the latest trends in female fashion and make-up. This section includes interviews with trend-setting singers, artists, models, designers and stylists; style photos; and features on the latest fashion products. A recent addition to this section has been an interview series by popular local DJ'swith some local celebrities on sex-related topics.
*''Knock'' section focuses on trends for men. It includes features on selected male fashion labels; style photos of the latest male fahions; reports on male trend icons, such as Quentin Tarantino, the director of "Kill Bill"; and product information on the latest sneakers in town.
*''Relax'' section does not have a particular theme. It provides information on high-tech gadgets, toys and comics. A special periodical in this section is which features local university student life.
The sub-booklet has four sections. It focuses on the latest products and presents them in a catagloue format detailing prices and retail outlets.
*''Brand name Trends'' contains information on products by selected fashion labels; columns on how to maintain brandname products; street snapshots of people with brandname products; rankings of the "hippest" brandname products; and an "Exchange forum" for readers to buy or sell second-hand brandname products.
*''Technological Trends'' features the latest hi-tech gadgets together with detailed descriptions of their functions, prices and ponts of sale. This section also includes rankings of the hippest mobile phones and digital cameras.
*''Health Trends'' contains information on diet plans, health foods and exercise plans.
*''Information Weekly'' has a weekly horoscope, a comic series, a movie review, a CD review and articles by different contributors.
In recent issues, 'East Touch' has followed the practice of other trend magazines by issuing a small booklets on selected high-fashion labels. These booklets focus on clothes and accessories from a particular brand, along with prices and shop details. It occasionally offers readers free gifts, a typical example being the 100 sets of block toys offered to readers with the 349th issue to celebrate Valentine's Day.
A frequent advertising technique employed by 'East Touch' is its use of soft marketing. Advertisements are often presented in formats similar to the feature articles with "Information provided by clients" in small print at the top of the page to indicate that it is an advertisement.
The idea of naming the magazine 'East Touch' came from the phase "Don't touch". According to the editorial board, the sub-booklet aimed at inspiring readers to be "rebellious", to "challenge everything", and to be concerned with the world. according to this philosophy, the first thing to do is "to touch". Thus, the Board used the word "Touch" as a part of the sub-booklet's name. The Chinese word "East" is a pun of the pronunciation of the English word "Don't" in the Cantonese-accented English of the then owner Oriental Press Group Limited .
'East Touch' was published every Tuesday for its first 303 issues. The day of publication changed to Sunday with the 304th issue. It was then, for a brief period from the 348th issue to the 354th issue, released on Wednesdays. It has again been issued on Tuesdays from the 355th issue to date.
Unlike its competitors, such as "Easy Finder" and "Milk", 'East Touch' does not have a website.
Cathay Pacific Airways and have chosen 'East Touch' to be one of their in-flight magazines.
Content
'East Touch' is an infotainment publication targeting readers aged between 22 and 34. It covers stories of celebrities, entertainment news, fashion trends and lifestyle topics. A survey conducted by the Society for Truth and Light in Hong Kong showed that about 86.6% of the content of 'East Touch' is related to information about entertainment and consumption. According to the editorial board, the magazine regards men's fashion news as its top priority, followed by women's fashion news and lifestyle reports. Entertainment news is regarded as the least important priority.
Reporting style
The reporting style of 'East Touch' follows four guiding principles established by its owners. These four reporting principles distinguish 'East Touch' from other magazines targeted at trendy young people.
The magazine's competitors, namely, "Easy Finder", "East Week" and "3 Magazine" place considerably more emphasis on paparanzzi-type entertainment scoops and Category IIB photos of starlets. This is confirmed by statistics provided by the Hong Kong Press Council and the Hong Kong Journalists Association which show that no complaints have been filed nor condemnations issued against 'East Touch' this year.
Big events
The magazine faced the first great challenge in its colourful history when its 42nd issue was published on 29 March 1995. 'East Touch' was convicted and fined by the courts for publishing indecent articles about pornography, thereby falling foul of the Obscene Articles Tribunal and the Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority. The article judged indecent concerned a "Festival of Pornography", in which many sexual utilities and services were advertised without an accompanying warning that the magazine contained material which should not fall into the hands of persons under the age of 18. According to both the Tribunal and the Supreme Court, such an omission violated the Control of Obscene and Indecent Articles Ordinance. The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal made by the publisher in July 1996.
Readership
To date, no official figures have been published on the magazine's circulation numbers and market penetration. According to a survey of the reading habits of 15-29 years olds in Hong Kong conducted by Breakthrough, a non-profit Catholic youth organization in Hong Kong, in February 1999, however, 'East Touch' lagged behind its closest competitors. In the survey, 'Next Magazine', 'Easy Finder' and 'East Week' ranked top three, with 32.3%, 27.4% and 24.9% respectively.
History and reporting principles
'East Touch' was first published on 15 June, 1994 as a free magazine in 'East Magazine'. In its pilot form, 'East Touch' was named 'East City' and was wholly owned by the Oriental Press Group Limited .
The "Declaration of Foundation" in the 1st issue stated that the goal of the magazine was to be "rooted in Hong Kong, global in our outlook" . "Reformation" and "Innovation" were two further founding principles of the magazine.
'East Touch' first appeared as a stand-alone magazine on 6 June, 1995, its 51st issue. The editor noted that the new 'East Touch' embraced two new reporting principles - to create a new culture representing the new generation and to bring about reform and innovation with an open and creative mind. According to the 52nd issue, the re-launch of 'East Touch' was a great success. The initial print run of the 51st issue was sold out and more than one hundred thousand copies passed into circulation.
On 1 July, 1997, 'East Touch' published its 109th issue. Building on their founding principles, the editorial board created another slogan, "Forget 1997! Look ahead to the 21st century!" , in celebration of the handover.
Global China Group Holdings Limited acquired 'East Touch' in 2002. In its 348th issue, the first issue after the acquisition, the editor proclaimed four guiding editorial principles: to establish a unique culture in Hong Kong; to be a trend leader; to refuse pornographic materials; and to maintain a global vision.
Changes in selling price
The retail price of the 1st issue of 'East Touch' was HK$3. This price and the date when the 1st issue came out were especially chosen as the numbers 3 and 6 have the meaning of "endlessness" . The price rose to with the 11th issue so as "to reflect its real strength and worth in the market", according to the editorial board. The price rose further to with the 21st issue due to the increasing price of paper. The price rose again with the 45th and 59th issues to and respectively. It peaked at HK$15 with the 155th issue when 2 sub-booklets were added. After 'East Touch' was acquired by Global China Group Limited, the price dropped to with the 348th issue. The current selling price remains at .
Writing style, Layout and Logo
Articles in 'East Touch' are written in colloquial Chinese and are often peppered with slangy Cantonese phrases and English words. The layout of 'East Touch' is very colourful with photos, pictures and graphics taking up equal, if not more, page space than words. The magazine's layout changes frequently in order to maintain freshness and to avoid any ‘detachment’ between authors and readers. However, such oral–oriented written discourse has been accused of polluting Modern Standard Chinese, and has been blamed by teachers and educators for the deteriorating language proficiency of Hong Kong's youngsters.
'East Touch' also makes frequent changes to the appearance and organisation of its contents, though the contents themselves remain largely the same. When it was first published, the magazine was unitary and was divided into four sections, namely 'First touch', 'Entertainment touch', 'Fashion & City touch' and 'Keep in touch'.
'East Touch' launched the present logo with Issue 437, which came out on 14 October, 2003. This new logo, incorporating the Chinese character "East" with the English words "East Touch", was chosen to reflect the magazine's very first logo. Before the present logo was launched, "East Touch" had changed the design of its logo six times.
Sub-booklets
A number of sub-booklets were subsequently published together with the main book.
*'Shopping G-Point' was first issued with the 125th issue in conjunction with 'G-Point Price', which provided discounts for readers buying trendy clothes, sneakers and accessiories.
*With the 153rd issue, 'Game Century' was published. This introduced the latest computer and video games and taught readers how to become skillful players. This later changed its name to 'Electric-king' with the 285th issue, and covered topics on a wide range of electrical appliances.
*'Look' was first issued with the 285th issue, and focused on fashion and lifestyle topics.
*'Sneakers' was first issued with the 317th issue, and introduced trends, design, brands and the price of sneakers.
*'Make-up Garden' was first issued with the 317th issue, and included make-up tips, make-up demonstrations, a new cosmetics product review and interviews with artists and models.
*'Brands' was first issued with the 348th issue, and introduced brand products in fashion.
*'Cat's' was first issued with the 355th issue, and mainly contained stylish pictures of the latest fashion products.
*'OK!week' was first issued with the 370th issue, and reported the hottest entertainment news of the previous week.
*'Green weekly' was first issued with the 390th issue, and focused on fashion trends.
Sections
Today, "East Touch" is divided into two books.
The main book has five sections, namely ''Begin'', ''Entertainment'', ''Babe'', ''Knock'', and ''Relax''.
*''Begin'' section discusses the hottest topics from around the world during the previous week in the relaxed tone generally found in infotainment magazines.
*''Entertainment'' section reports on recent local and international entertainment news. This includes interviews with celebrities, features on upcoming movies and TV series, and CD reviews.
*''Babe'' section contains the latest trends in female fashion and make-up. This section includes interviews with trend-setting singers, artists, models, designers and stylists; style photos; and features on the latest fashion products. A recent addition to this section has been an interview series by popular local DJ'swith some local celebrities on sex-related topics.
*''Knock'' section focuses on trends for men. It includes features on selected male fashion labels; style photos of the latest male fahions; reports on male trend icons, such as Quentin Tarantino, the director of "Kill Bill"; and product information on the latest sneakers in town.
*''Relax'' section does not have a particular theme. It provides information on high-tech gadgets, toys and comics. A special periodical in this section is
The sub-booklet has four sections. It focuses on the latest products and presents them in a catagloue format detailing prices and retail outlets.
*''Brand name Trends'' contains information on products by selected fashion labels; columns on how to maintain brandname products; street snapshots of people with brandname products; rankings of the "hippest" brandname products; and an "Exchange forum" for readers to buy or sell second-hand brandname products.
*''Technological Trends'' features the latest hi-tech gadgets together with detailed descriptions of their functions, prices and ponts of sale. This section also includes rankings of the hippest mobile phones and digital cameras.
*''Health Trends'' contains information on diet plans, health foods and exercise plans.
*''Information Weekly'' has a weekly horoscope, a comic series, a movie review, a CD review and articles by different contributors.
Recent strategy
In recent issues, 'East Touch' has followed the practice of other trend magazines by issuing a small booklets on selected high-fashion labels. These booklets focus on clothes and accessories from a particular brand, along with prices and shop details. It occasionally offers readers free gifts, a typical example being the 100 sets of block toys offered to readers with the 349th issue to celebrate Valentine's Day.
A frequent advertising technique employed by 'East Touch' is its use of soft marketing. Advertisements are often presented in formats similar to the feature articles with "Information provided by clients" in small print at the top of the page to indicate that it is an advertisement.
Name
The idea of naming the magazine 'East Touch' came from the phase "Don't touch". According to the editorial board, the sub-booklet aimed at inspiring readers to be "rebellious", to "challenge everything", and to be concerned with the world. according to this philosophy, the first thing to do is "to touch". Thus, the Board used the word "Touch" as a part of the sub-booklet's name. The Chinese word "East" is a pun of the pronunciation of the English word "Don't" in the Cantonese-accented English of the then owner Oriental Press Group Limited .
Changes to day of publication
'East Touch' was published every Tuesday for its first 303 issues. The day of publication changed to Sunday with the 304th issue. It was then, for a brief period from the 348th issue to the 354th issue, released on Wednesdays. It has again been issued on Tuesdays from the 355th issue to date.
Unlike its competitors, such as "Easy Finder" and "Milk", 'East Touch' does not have a website.
Reputation
Cathay Pacific Airways and have chosen 'East Touch' to be one of their in-flight magazines.
E-zone
e-zone is a Hong Kong Computer Magazine. It publishes weekly with three different sections: PC, Digital & DIY Zone. The price of the magazine is HKD$15.
e-zone claims that it is the #1 Computer Digital Magazine in Hong Kong.
e-zone claims that it is the #1 Computer Digital Magazine in Hong Kong.
Co-co! Magazine
Co-co! is a Hong Kong comic bi-weekly magazine that is launched in 1997. It features and local comics, it also provided information of gaming news.
Co-co! has also spawned a spinoff magazine named Super Co-co, which is first launched on 1999.
Co-co! has also spawned a spinoff magazine named Super Co-co, which is first launched on 1999.
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