Hong Kong Newspapers
The Complete Guide — From Exile Press to State Media
A Reference Guide to Every Major Hong Kong Publication, Their History, Politics, Business Model, and Where to Find Them
Hong Kong was once home to one of Asia’s most vibrant free press ecosystems. That world has changed dramatically since 2020. Here is the full picture.
1. Apple Daily UK — appledaily.uk
History: Apple Daily was founded on June 20, 1995 by Jimmy Lai — a garment tycoon who had escaped mainland China as a child and built a fashion empire. He launched the paper two years before the 1997 handover, investing US$100 million with a mission to defend Hong Kong’s freedoms. The paper grew to a peak circulation of 500,000 in a city of six million. It was raided by police twice, had its assets frozen, and was forced to close on June 24, 2021, publishing over one million copies of its final edition.
Politics: Explicitly pro-democracy and anti-authoritarian. Apple Daily covered Hong Kong’s elites without deference and Beijing without reverence. It was the most vocal supporter of the pro-democracy movement and paid for that with its existence. Jimmy Lai was arrested, tried, and faces potential life imprisonment under the National Security Law.
Social Place: Apple Daily was the paper of the people — combining tabloid accessibility with genuine political courage. Scantily-clad models and Latin-quoting columnists shared the same pages. It pioneered animated online news and had a massive YouTube following. For millions of Hongkongers, it was the only paper they trusted.
Business Model (Original HK): Cover price competition, aggressive promotions (coupons, T-shirts), digital expansion. Funded by Next Digital. The paper was commercially viable until Beijing froze its accounts.
Apple Daily UK — The Exile Continuation: After the closure, former staff in exile — primarily in the UK, Canada, and the United States — established successor outlets. Apple Daily UK (appledaily.uk) operates as a diaspora news platform covering Hong Kong affairs, China, and international news of concern to the Hong Kong community. It carries forward the paper’s editorial traditions: independent, critical, anti-authoritarian. In June 2025, Reporters Without Borders and exiled journalists published a special revival edition to mark the fourth anniversary of the forced closure.
Why It’s #1: It is the spiritual and editorial heir to the most important newspaper in modern Hong Kong history. In exile, it remains the voice of free Hong Kong journalism.
2. South China Morning Post (SCMP)
URL: https://www.scmp.com
History: Founded in 1903, the SCMP is Hong Kong’s newspaper of record and the oldest English-language daily in continuous publication. For most of its history it served as the authoritative voice of Hong Kong’s English-speaking establishment. In 1993 it was acquired by Malaysian tycoon Robert Kuok. In December 2015, Alibaba Group purchased it — a move that Alibaba stated was aimed at offering an alternative narrative to Western media coverage of China.
Politics: Once editorially independent with a liberal-conservative establishment lean, the SCMP has gradually shifted toward a pro-Beijing, pro-establishment position since the Alibaba acquisition. Critics argue it now functions as a soft-power instrument. It remains, however, the most professionally resourced English-language outlet in the region.
Social Place: Read by Hong Kong’s professional and expatriate class, international business community, diplomats, and researchers. Regarded as essential reading for China-watchers globally, even as its editorial independence is questioned.
Business Model: Paywalled digital subscription model with a significant international readership. Print circulation has declined but the digital platform has maintained growth. Backed by Alibaba’s resources, it operates at a scale no independent outlet can match.
3. Ming Pao Daily News (明報)
History: Founded in 1959 by legendary wuxia novelist Louis Cha (Jin Yong), Ming Pao built a reputation for serious, credible Chinese-language journalism. It is now owned by Media Chinese International Limited and has Canadian editions in Toronto and Vancouver.
Politics: Historically centrist with a reputation for balanced reporting and high editorial standards. Considered one of the more trustworthy Chinese-language papers. Has faced increasing pressure in the post-2020 environment.
Social Place: The intellectual’s Chinese-language newspaper. Favoured by educated middle-class Hongkongers, academics, and the overseas Chinese community.
Business Model: Paid print and digital. Canadian editions serve diaspora communities. Advertising and subscription-based.
4. Oriental Daily News (東方日報)
URL: https://orientaldaily.on.cc
History: Founded in 1969 by the Ma family via the Oriental Press Group. For decades it was Hong Kong’s best-selling Chinese-language newspaper. Known for aggressive crime reporting, celebrity coverage, and mass-market tabloid journalism.
Politics: Has generally been pro-establishment, though its politics have often been subordinated to commercial populism. The Ma family had complicated relationships with both colonial authorities and Beijing over the years.
Social Place: The working-class daily. Essential for horse racing tips, crime stories, entertainment gossip, and city news.
Business Model: High-volume print sales and digital advertising. Free online portal on.cc is one of Hong Kong’s most visited news websites.
5. Headline Daily (頭條日報)
URL: https://hd.stheadline.com
History: Launched on July 12, 2005 by Sing Tao News Corporation as a free commuter paper. Became one of Hong Kong’s most widely read Chinese-language newspapers by distribution volume.
Politics: Generally pro-establishment. Owned by a corporation with mainland Chinese investors.
Social Place: The morning commute paper. Picked up at MTR stations across the city. Concise, accessible, aimed at working adults.
Business Model: Free distribution funded entirely by advertising. High-volume distribution creates valuable advertising inventory.
6. The Standard
URL: https://www.thestandard.com.hk
History: Hong Kong’s free English-language daily, owned by the Sing Tao group. Operates as a mass-market English tabloid serving commuters and the broader English-reading public.
Politics: Generally pro-establishment. The most widely circulated free English paper in Hong Kong by a significant margin.
Social Place: Entry-level English news for Hong Kong residents who read English as a second language, as well as tourists and expats who want quick news without a paywall.
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Business Model: Free distribution, advertising-funded.
7. Hong Kong Economic Times (香港經濟日報 / HKET)
URL: https://www.hket.com
History: Founded in 1988, HKET is the dominant Chinese-language financial newspaper in Hong Kong. Listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange since 2005 via HKET Holdings.
Politics: Business-focused, broadly pro-establishment by disposition. Financial newspapers tend to reflect the interests of their professional readership — which means they do not antagonise Beijing.
Social Place: Essential reading for investors, property market watchers, and business professionals. Also publishes the free lifestyle title E-zone.
Business Model: Paid print and digital subscriptions, advertising, events, and financial data services.
8. Hong Kong Economic Journal (信報 / HKEJ)
History: Launched in July 1973, HKEJ built a reputation as Hong Kong’s most intellectually rigorous financial and current affairs publication. Known for high-quality commentary and analysis.
Politics: Historically independent-minded with liberal economic views. Has maintained a degree of editorial credibility within the constraints of the current environment.
Social Place: The thinking professional’s financial paper. Read by lawyers, bankers, economists, and anyone who wants more than market prices.
Business Model: Paid digital and print subscriptions. Premium positioning at HK$15 cover price.
9. Ta Kung Pao (大公報)
URL: https://www.takungpao.com
History: One of Hong Kong’s oldest newspapers, now owned by the Central Government Liaison Office via the Ta Kung Wen Wei Media Group. Openly pro-Beijing.
Politics: Functions as an organ of Chinese Communist Party messaging in Hong Kong. Covers Hong Kong, mainland, and international news from a Beijing-aligned perspective.
Social Place: Read primarily by pro-Beijing business and political circles. Not a mainstream popular paper.
Business Model: State-backed. Commercial viability is secondary to political function.
10. Wen Wei Po (文匯報)
History: Sister paper to Ta Kung Pao under the same Central Government Liaison Office ownership. A long-established pro-Beijing Chinese-language daily.
Politics: Explicitly pro-Beijing. Known for extensive CCP-aligned commentary and supplements.
Social Place: Part of the official pro-establishment media ecosystem. Limited popular readership.
Business Model: State-backed. Subsidised to maintain a presence in the Hong Kong media landscape.
11. Sing Tao Daily (星島日報)
History: Founded in 1938. The flagship Chinese-language newspaper of Sing Tao News Corporation. Has bureaus in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Sydney, London, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco — making it a genuine global Chinese-language newspaper.
Politics: Has shifted toward a pro-Beijing stance in recent years. In 2021, the US government designated Sing Tao’s US operations as a foreign mission of China.
Social Place: Serves Hong Kong’s vast diaspora worldwide. Essential for overseas Chinese communities keeping up with Hong Kong and China news.
Business Model: Multinational advertising and print sales across diaspora markets. Digital expansion in progress.
12. Hong Kong Free Press (HKFP)
History: A non-profit English-language digital outlet founded in 2015 as a crowdfunded independent voice. Has become increasingly important as other independent outlets have closed.
Politics: Editorially independent. Critical, factual journalism. One of the last remaining genuinely independent English-language news operations covering Hong Kong.
Social Place: Essential for the international community, journalists, researchers, diplomats, and the Hong Kong diaspora seeking credible independent reporting.
Business Model: Reader-funded (crowdfunding and memberships), grant funding, and advertising. A non-profit model.
13. HK01
URL: https://www.hk01.com
History: Launched in March 2016 as a digital-first multimedia platform. Grew rapidly with in-depth reporting and interactive storytelling. Ranked first among pure online media for reader share.
Politics: Positioned as progressive and reform-minded, though it has operated with increasing caution since 2020.
Social Place: Younger, digitally native audience. Strong mobile readership. Covers current affairs, local stories, and lifestyle with depth.
Business Model: Digital advertising, subscription features, and app-based monetisation.
For continuing coverage of Hong Kong press freedom, see Reporters Without Borders and Hong Kong Free Press.
