Hong Kong Media Ethics

2 Facets of Ethical Dilemmas in Travel with Rivals <br />

i). Pre-­‐production stage <br />

ii). Production stage <br />

1. <strong>Media</strong>ted Reality – Tokenism of broadcasting virtue <br />

Echoing to the scandal about its ostentatious manipulation on the characters’ <br />

performance, the suspicious withdrawal of the episode of “Travel with Rivals 2” <br />

in light of the sensitive taboo embraced in the press conference that were <br />

supposed to be scheduled by the production crew of the TV program. Regarding <br />

this, the plausibility of Viu TV to furnish the participants with the professional <br />

values of detachment would be unveiled with the deflected liability and alleged <br />

intervention on the projected “reality”.

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As the above graphic elucidated, the schedule of Viu TV did encompass the press <br />

conference of Wong Dan and Fung King Yan. <br />

2. Vicious Typecasting – Stereotyping of Social Stratham <br />

During the pre-­‐production stage of the program, the characters were projected <br />

with the respective public personae. For some embodiments, Shiga Lin acted as a <br />

materialistic or self-­‐indulgent girl, Hocc acted as an underrepresented or <br />

ruthless homosexual, Long Hair acted as an underprivileged or vociferous <br />

agitator etc… Adversely, their counterparts were presented as a sophisticated <br />

prestige such as “Mature or Gentle” Jasper Tsang, “Pragmatic or Courteous” <br />

Gloria Yip and “Calm or Loyal” Zac Kao etc... Exposed beneath these kind of <br />

distorted misrepresentations, the audience may be imbued with a biased <br />

doctrine against the relevant social roles and the society may be perpetuated <br />

with the emblazoned contradictories between various societal spectrums. <br />

Nonetheless, the utmost bedrock of the program may render a rebounding effect <br />

with the above dramatic characters’ dispositions: Defusing estrangements from <br />

the polarized society. As for the intrinsic nature of the reality TV, a short <br />

duration of aftermath would not really ease the rifts but can only magnify the <br />

conflicts with the divulgence of the tip of the iceberg. Under the sham of <br />

nurturing mutual understanding between deviated parties, the “diverse public <br />

opinions” may be provoked and intensified to be the kind of “simmering <br />

controversies”. In pursuance of “social unity”, a heap of maladies such as <br />

compliance of the inferiorities or the humiliation of the minorities would be in <br />

expense with the gloating pleasure from the “mainstream” of the society.