Opinion

In this summer of protests, Hongkongers must refuse to fall prey to misinformation

Hong Kong is going through a divisive time and both mass and social media can concentrate feelings of hate and discrimination. It can be hard to keep your head when all about you are losing theirs

3-MIN READ3-MIN

Hongkongers can say “no” to misinformation, whether they oppose the extradition bill – as expressed in this banner by artists Alcohol Salon – or not. Photo: Handout

Franklin Koo is an accredited mediator, lawyer and author of Power to the People: Extending the Jury to the Hong Kong District Court.

Published: 1:30pm, 27 Jul 2019Updated: 1:32pm, 27 Jul 2019

The polarisation of society has historically led to mistrust, segregation and discrimination. Taking the mentality that you are either with us or against us makes it difficult to resolve any problem, especially when tensions run high.

Confrontations in Hong Kong have certainly escalated quickly. The violent clashes in the northern town of Sha Tin on July 14 that sent at least 22 people to hospital now seems a distant memory. Since then, police have uncovered TATP explosives, the national emblem at the liaison office has been desecrated, and at least 45 people were injured by a white-clad mob armed with sticks and metal rods in Yuen Long.

We may feel the need to adopt a side to make sense of things. But we may then fall into the trap of having to adhere to the chosen side in the face of contradictory information. And when we take mental short cuts in our reasoning to quickly make sense of things, we do so at the risk of accuracy.

Such mental short cuts are often aided by a media outlet’s portrayal of a group or situation. Reporting may not always be factual and may cater to market audiences. Instead of maintaining conflict mitigation and social cohesion, some outlets may widen divisions in serving their agendas and commercial incentives.