Next Magazine
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Next Magazine (壹週刊) is a Chinese language weekly general interest magazine based in Hong Kong. It is owned by Next Media Limited established by Hong Kong entrepreneur Jimmy Lai (黎智英). The motto of the magazine is "Don't Put on Airs: Just Seek the Truth" (不扮高深 只求傳真).
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General
First published on March 15, 1990, Next Magazine is said to be the most popular magazine in Hong Kong nowadays. It is now published every Thursday at HK$20 (US $2.56). Next Magazine covers current affairs, political, economic, social and business issues, and entertainment news in Hong Kong. It consists of two booklets. The first focuses on news and commentary, while the second features entertainment and lifestyle information.
Structure of the magazine
The Next Magazine has 8 departments working together totally. They are the Editorial, Complaint and Fiance, News Section, Business Section, Features & Technology Section, Entertainment & Lifestyle Section and Social Page Section, Sales and finally the Project & Marketing.
Audience
Next Magazine is popular among the middle-class in Hong Kong. The 2002 March ACNielsen Hong Kong: Media Index RARD Report (ACNielsen RARD Report) showed that 51% of its readers were aged 35 or above, 69% of them had completed secondary or higher education and 62% of them had monthly household incomes of HK$20,000 or more.
Readership
In 1991, the magazine has first become the most popular magazine in Hong Kong with the highest pass-along readership. Its circulation was 75,000 and readership was 315,000. By 1995, its audited circulation was more than doubled to 162,521 and readership jumped to 1.06 million. The booksize of the magazine has also been doubled due to its growth in advertising pages. As statistics shown, The average number of issue per week during the period of 1 April to 30 June 2003, is 161,919. According to the 2003 March ACNielsen RARD Report, the Next Magazine has the second highest readership among the weekly magazines in Hong Kong.
Style and political position
The magazine is known for its aggressive and flamboyant reporting styles. Their gossip-cooking stories and paparazzi pictures have often been accused by celebrities. It has been involved in many court cases and its stories have given rise to much controversy in society.
Next Magazine is also known for its anti-government position. It was once heavily criticized and discredited by the spokesman of Hong Kong Chief Executive's Office. The controversial issue in its cover story said that Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa had submitted resignation twice after the July 1 Demonstration in Hong Kong.
Strategies in outwitting other Chinese magazines
The circulation figures of Next Magazine show that it is one of the best-selling weekly magazine. Some people suggest that the key to such success might be attributed to its aggressive style, shocking reports as well as glossy, revealing photos that the rivals lack. However, its competitor such as East magazine also adopts the same strategies. What makes Next Magazine differentiate from other Chinese magazines is that Next Magazine knows what the people are curious and their ethical standard. Miss Lau Ka Ling's nude photo was published by its major competitor, East Magazine. Though the people were very curious to this issue, they criticized the unethical act of East Magazine. At last, the operation of East Magazine was suspended because of this event. However, Next Magazine does not come across such huge criticism from the public even it published a lot of shocking news before. This can prove that Next magazine can estimate the ethical standard of the people. In response to the event of naked photos, Next Magazine reported the subsequences. Without arising people's repulsion, it could satisfy the public curiosity. These can explain why Next Magazine can sustain its leadership in the market.
Significant controversies
Although Next Magazine is having a relatively large market, it has often been criticized. Complaints about the magazine can be categorized into two types:
- The indecent, obscene and propogandistic reporting style which would have dramatic negative impacts on readers, especially teenagers. In addition, the disclosure and uncovering of people's private photos and lives has often thought to be lowering the moral standard of mass media. Ever since the Control of Obscene and Indecent Articles Ordinance (Cap.390) was enacted in 1994 in Hong Kong, Next Magazine has violated the law around 17 times and has been fined ranging from $5000 -$14000.http://ent.sina.com.cn/s/h/2002-10-11/1158105895.html. The Taiwan version of Next Magazine has also violated the law 4 times. Many people and organizations complained that the Magazine posted the death portrait of Hong Kong actress Chan Po Lin, Pauline upon her death in Aug, 2002. The Magazine was later fined HK$5000 in compensation for that.http://ent.sina.com.cn/s/h/2002-08-20/171096497.html. Another more recent example is the complaint that Next Magazine revealed a school girl's nude photo during the SARS crisis in May, 2003. http://www.chinanews.com.cn/n/2003-06-26/26/317842.html
- Misleading and false reports which violates Jounalism's principle of honesty. Next Magazine has been involved in several libel cases. The most significant case involved the report in which Next Magzine claimed that there was a loss of $700,000 donation in Project Hope, a charitable organization in China, in Jan,1994. The Magazine lost the case in 2000, and had to remedy $3,500,000.http://fpeng.peopledaily.com.cn/200006/22/eng20000622_43648.html Another example is the report which claimed Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa had submitted resignation twice after the 1 July Demonstration in Hong Kong. This however was said to be wrong by the Hong Kong government. http://content.sina.com/news/11/67/5116797_1_b5.html
Online version
There is an online version available for subscription from Hong Kong, Taiwan and overseas readers. atnext.com is a web site that assembling with news, entertainment and information. It also provides a sound environment for companies to do promotion. atnext.com is represented by Pixel Media Hong Kong Limited. Its innovative ads help many companies to explore new markets and maintain the existing markets.
In November 1999, when the Hong Kong online version of Next Magazine is first launched, people could read the Next Magazine on the internet free of charge. But now subscription fee is needed. Hong Kong subscribers, by paying HK$388 a year, can browse the websites of Next Magazine, Apple Daily, Easy Finder, Sudden Weekly and Eat & Travel Weekly. Overseas subscribers can browse the websites by paying HK$498(US$63.8) per year. The website on Horse racing (http://racing.atnext.com) has to be subscribed separately (HK$1888 per year).
Next Media Network
Besides Next Magazine, the Next Media Limited also owns one newspaper and several magazines: the Apple Daily (蘋果日報), Easy Finder (壹本便利), Sudden Weekly (忽然1週) and Eat & Travel Weekly (飲食男女). All of these are printed by Database Gateway Limited since October, 2001. Following the success of Next Magazine and Apple Daily in Hong Kong, the Taiwan branch of Next Media Publishing Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Next Media Limited, was set up in Taiwan on 31 May 2001. The emergence of Taiwan Apple Daily and Next Magazine introduced a completely different way of reporting over there. The Next Media Network has confidence in being the top three in the newspaper sector in Taiwan by using a new reporting style and its high quality of publication.
Next Media Network is a great success in Hong Kong. Between 31/3/2002 and 31/3/2003, its total sales and net profit are about $2,150,100,000 and $367,600,000 respectively. Comparing to 2002, the total sales has increased by 91.8% while the net profit has increased tremendously by 1284.4%. For the Next Magazine only, it just took 3 years to turn from loss to getting profit.
Major competitor
East Week has been the major competitor of Next Magazine for more than 10 years. East Week was first published by the Oriental Group in 1992, 2 years after Next Magazine. The East Magazine largely resembles the Next Magazine in terms of reporting styles and coverage. The logo of East Week is also similar to that of Next Magazine. But it affects little the sales of Next Magazine. It is now owned by Global China Group Holdings Limited. The transfers of staff between the two magazines are common.
Awards
Besides the great amount of readership, the Next Magazine also won a lot of awards.
- 1994 HKDA Design 94 Show - Book Design Silver Award & Editorial Design Merit Awards (10 Awards)
- 1995 Hong Kong News Awards - The Best Magazine Reporting Award
- Hong Kong Institiute of Professional Photographers Awards - Kodak Award in Editorial (Single) Category, Bronze Award in Editorial (Single) Category, Merit Award in Editorial (Single) Category & Kodak Award in Publishing Category
- 1996 HKDA Design 96 Show - Editorial Design Merit Award
- Hong Kong Institute of Professional Photographers Awards - Kodak Award in Stories Category
- 1997 "Focus 97" - Champion in Photo Essay Category & 1st Runner-up in Feature Category
- 1998 Human Rights Press Awards - Special Merit Awards (2 Awards)
- 1999 "Focus at the Frontline 99" - 1st Runner-up in the Spot News Category
Major court cases involved (Citations)
- Next Magazine Publishing Ltd & Anor v Ma Ching Fat [2003] 1 HKC 579
- Morinda International Hong Kong Ltd v Next Magazine Publishing Ltd & Ors [2003] 1 HKC 492
- Oriental Press Group Ltd & Anor v Next Magazine Publishing Ltd & Ltd [2001] 3 HKC 159
- Next Magazine Publishing Ltd & Ors v Oriental Daily Publisher Ltd [2000] 2 HKC 557
- Hong Kong Polytechnic University v Next Magazine [1996] 2 HKLR 260
Contact
- Address: Next Media Interactive Limited, 8 Chun Ying Street, T.K.O Industrial Estate West, Tseung Kwan O, Hong Kong.
- Email address: webmaster@info.atnext.com
- Fax no.: (852) 2623 9738
- Advertising hotline of the magazine : Hong Kong Apple Daily: (852)2752 3888, Hong Kong Next Magazine: (852)2990 7878, Taiwan Next Magazine: (02)2737 9011, EasyFinder: (852)2990 7018, Sudden Weekly and Eat and Travel: (852)2752 3666
See also
External links
- Next Magazine: http://next.atnext.com
- Taiwan Next Magazine: http://twnext.atnext.com
- Next Media Limited: http://www.nextmedia.com.hk
Articles
- How does Next Magazine affect the press and the publishing market in Taiwan:http://www.bnext.com.tw/mag/2001_05/2001_05_1490.html (Chinese)
- The contributions of Next Magazine: http://capm.giga-tv.com/larry/article/231816792 (Chinese)
- Article related to the launching of Next Magazine in Taiwan: http://com.giga-tv.com/sooner/article/42581866 (Chinese), http://taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2001/05/31/88099 (English)
- Commentary written on the publishing of Next Magazine in Taiwan: http://www.npf.org.tw/PUBLICATION/EC/090/EC-C-090-136.htm (Chinese)
- The effect of Next Magazine on Taiwan press (Chinese)http://atj.yam.org.tw/mw2239.htmzh:壹週刊