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:''For the music indstry trade publication, see [[Next Magazine (Santa Monica)]].

:''For the glossy, freely-distributed gay nightlife magazine, see [[Next Magazine (New York City)]].
:''For the glossy, freely-distributed gay nightlife magazine, see [[Next Magazine (New York City)]].


Revision as of 07:52, 15 August 2006

For the music indstry trade publication, see Next Magazine (Santa Monica).
For the glossy, freely-distributed gay nightlife magazine, see Next Magazine (New York City).

Next Magazine (壹週刊) is a Traditional Chinese weekly general interest magazine based in Hong Kong, and published in Hong Kong and Taiwan with different versions. 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).

General

First published on March 15, 1990, Next Magazine is now one of the most popular magazines in Hong Kong. It is currently published every Thursday and costs HK$20. Next Magazine covers current affairs, political, economic, social and business issues, and entertainment news. It consists of two parts, the first focuses on news and commentary, while the second features entertainment and lifestyle information.

Next Magazine Taiwan branch was established in 2001 and its first issue was published on May 31 2001. With strong TV advertisement and sensation, the first issue's 275,000 prints were sold out within only several hours. Taiwanese Next Magazine is edited by local staffs and is different from Hong Kong Next Magazine. It is also published every Thursday and costs NT$ 75.

Structure of the magazine

The editorial staff at Next Magazine are split into 5 sections : News, Business, Features & Technology, Entertainment & Lifestyle and Social Pages.

Audience

Next Magazine is popular among the middle-classes 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 became 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 had more than doubled to 162,521 and readership had jumped to 1.06 million. The number of pages in the magazine had also doubled, mainly due to an increase in advertising. The average (weekly) circulation during the period of 1 April to 30 June 2003 was 161,919. According to the March 2003 ACNielsen RARD Report, Next Magazine had the second highest readership among 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 criticised by celebrities. This style has led the magazine to being involved in many court cases and its stories have given rise to many controversies.

Next Magazine is also known for its anti-government position. It was once heavily criticized and discredited by the spokesman of the Hong Kong Chief Executive's Office after stating that Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa had submitted his resignation twice after the July 1 marches in Hong Kong. The magazine's political position is libertarian in that it supports minimum government control on economic matters.

Strategies in outwitting other Chinese magazines

The circulation figures of Next Magazine show that it is one of the best-selling weekly magazines. Some people suggest that the key to such success might be attributed to its aggressive style, shocking reports and the glossy, revealing photos that its rivals lack. However, its competitors, such as East magazine, also adopt the same strategies. What differentiates Next Magazine from other Chinese magazines is that Next Magazine seems to understand its readers and in particular their ethical views. East magazine published a nude picture of Miss Lau Ka Ling's and although readers were very curious, they felt the publication was unethical, finally leading to the suspension of that magazine. However, Next Magazine does not seem to encounter such criticism from the public even though it has published a lot of shocking news, probably because the magazine has correctly estimated the ethical values of the public.

Significant controversies

Although Next Magazine has a relatively large market, it has often been criticized. Complaints about the magazine can be categorized into two types:

  • The indecent, obscene and propagandistic reporting style which may have a negative impact 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. Since the Control of Obscene and Indecent Articles Ordinance (Cap.390) was enacted in Hong Kong in 1994, Next Magazine has violated the law about 17 times and has received fines in the range $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 fined HK$5000 in respect of publication (http://ent.sina.com.cn/s/h/2002-08-20/171096497.html). Another more recent example is the publication of a photo of a nude school girl during the SARS crisis in May, 2003 (http://www.chinanews.com.cn/n/2003-06-26/26/317842.html).
  • Misleading and false reports which violate Journalism's principle of honesty. Next Magazine has been involved in several libel cases; the most significant case being a report in which it was claimed that there was a loss of $700,000 by Project Hope, a charitable organization in China, in Jan,1994. The Magazine lost the case in 2000, and was fined $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 his 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 contains news, entertainment and information. It also provides an environment for companies to advertise. atnext.com is represented by Pixel Media Hong Kong Limited. Its innovative ads help many companies explore new markets and maintain existing markets.

In November 1999, when the Hong Kong online version of Next Magazine was first launched, people could read the Magazine free of charge on the internet, but a subscription fee is now charged. 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 per year. The website on Horse racing (http://racing.atnext.com) has to be subscribed to separately (HK$1888 per year).

Next Media Network

Besides Next Magazine, 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 which 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 in Taiwan. Next Media Network has confidence in being in 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 by 1284.4%. For Next Magazine only, it just took 3 years to move to making a 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. East Magazine largely resembles Next Magazine in terms of reporting styles and coverage the logo of East Week is also similar to that of Next Magazine. East Magazine does not have a significant effect on sales of Next Magazine'. It is now owned by Global China Group Holdings Limited and transfer of staff between the two magazines is common.

Awards

Besides its large readership, 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

Articles

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