Bulletin Number One 1982

Seminar on Teenagers and Mass Media On 16th July, 1982, at the podium o f the Hong Kong Polytechnic, the Hon. D. Akers-Jones, Secretary for Home Affairs, speaking at the opening ceremony o f a seminar on "Teenagers and Mass Media", said ， "T o day's panel session, as well as the group discussion to-morrow and on Sunday, w ill represent the most intensive effort so far to come up w ith some o f the answers ." Three weeks before the seminar, three pre liminary meetings o f prospective participants representing different sectors o f the community who were concerned about this controversial topic were held to identify the issues involved and the areas to be discussed, and to consider procedural options. It was evident at that stage that there existed a consider able communication gap between the professionals working in the media and those in the social services that needed to be bridged. The three-day seminar, organized jo in tly by the Department o f Extramural Studies and Radio Television Hong Kong, was an attempt to bring people together from both sides in a face-to-face situation where issues may be thrashed out. As Mr. Akers-Jones appropriately mentioned in his opening address, "A seminar is judged both by its results and the process by which it achieves them," Over two hundred people attended the seminar and many stayed the full three days. Participants, loaded w ith numerous background and statistical papers, had the issues presented and focused by a panel o f speakers including Mrs. Selina Chow, Legco member and ex-TV executive, Mr. Tong Big-chuen, Chief Editor o f the Sing Tao Daily, Mr. Hui Yin Fat, Director o f the Council o f Social Service, and Mr. Lee Yee, Chief Editor o f the Seventies M o n t h ly . They later met and interacted in small groups in what proved to be three intensive sessions. A t the end o f the second day, the chairpersons o f the small groups, most o f them academics from The Chinese University, had the daunting task o f processing well over one hundred suggestions to resolve problems identified. Fortunately, most o f them fell into clusters and four main tasks became evident. A t the final plenary meeting, the establishment o f four planning groups to follow up the tasks was suggested: (i) an independent Advisory Committee on Mass Media; (ii) a culture trustee to fund cultural activities and development, an independent organiza tion to coordinate the development o f culture (in the broad sense); (iii) a committee to develop audience education and (iv) associations for professionals working in the various media. Most people came away from the three-day seminar exhausted. Though not all the answers were found, they were gratified that they had gained from the process and the answers now do seem less elusive. The proceedings o f the seminar w ill be published in a booklet by the Department of Extramural Studies and sent to those concerned in a few months' time. — C .K . K Wong 19