ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the congruence between the political ideology of individual journalists and that of their news organizations. Political ideology is expected to exert a profound influence on journalists' definition of the transitional political reality, including their assessment of the transition itself, the future of press freedom, censorship, and the changing media role. In contrast to what Converse calls the "know-nothings" characteristic of the general populace, journalists are usually well-educated, politically knowledgeable, and internally consistent in their beliefs. Journalists are active constructors of social reality within the mainstream ideology. Journalists have intensified their self-censorship since 1984, conscious of the risks involved and despite their expressed apprehension about the effects of outside political influences on the media and their own work. Besieged Hong Kong journalists doubt the feasibility of China's "one country, two systems" policy and are overwhelmingly pessimistic about the future of press freedom in Hong Kong.
