ABSTRACT
In 2011 Deliberative Polling was conducted in Macao on the “amendment of the Press Law and the Audio-Visual Broadcasting Act.” This was the first Deliberative Poll in the Hong Kong and Macao region. This chapter describes why Deliberative Polling was chosen as a method of public consultation and summarises the results of comprehensive and systematic analyses of all the data and text collected in this Deliberative Polling activity. It shows that, after deliberation, the mainstream voice of Macao residents became that both Acts require amendment. The government responded by initiating amendment procedures in accordance with the research conclusions of the Deliberative Polling. The Deliberative Poll also served several important social functions of fostering the mutual trust between media organisations and the general public; promoting social communication; enhancing citizen education; and meeting citizens’ expectation that their voices matter in government decision-making. However, to date, Deliberative Polling has not been implemented for other purposes in Macao.
