CHOICE, serving Hong Kong for more than 4 decades, turns 500-issue old this month. The monthly magazine has, in a spirit of “resolute perseverance”, carried the mission of enhancing and safeguarding the consumer rights and interests of Hong Kong people. On the frontcover of this CHOICE Issue 500 is featured the sport celebrity, the Bronze Medalist of the Olympic Cycling event in London, Li Wai-zee, famous for her “resolute perseverance”, symbolizing CHOICE riding alongside with cyclist athletes in a determined fearless lunge forward to victory.
CHOICE as the flagship publication of the Consumer Council keeps abreast of time in both its content and way of information dissemination. In 21st Century, the age of internet, how to adjust its content and information dissemination in line with the change has become a common challenge faced by mass media worldwide. CHOICE has endeavored to expand its reach over the years and as an important step to welcome the digital age, CHOICE went online in 2004. In commemoration of the 40th Anniversary of establishment of CHOICE in 2016, the magazine launched its first dedicated page on Facebook and through the social media, opening up a new channel of communication for disseminating consumer information to and increasing interaction with the public.
With the popularity of smart phones, short videos have become a common mode of information dissemination. On this memorable occasion of CHOICE Issue 500, the Council has revamped its YouTube Channel to cater for the public’s online viewing habit. A series of handy consumer tips on daily matters (clothing/food/housing/transport) has been videotaped and edited into different episodes forming a playlist “CHOICE – You Have the Say” in the Council’s YouTube Channel, which is also the first-ever online programme produced by the Council. 3 episodes on practical tips on installing open kitchen including fire safety and so on under “CHOICE – You Have the Say” will be first aired in a row via the channel. Currently, the Council hosts around 160 online videos. Apart from “CHOICE – You Have the Say”, the Council also created the “Best Choice” playlist on the hot topics of each issue of CHOICE and the “Consumers’ Concern” on the Council’s advocacy on consumer issues. In addition, there will be a playlist namely “Consumer Council’s Classic” for archiving the popular short videos produced by the Council in the last 40 years.
Since its inaugural issue in November 1976, becoming the world’s first consumer magazine in Chinese, CHOICE has published more than 4,200 survey and test reports covering a vast diversity of goods and services of relevance in the day-to-day lives of consumers.
To inculcate to the next generation the CHOICE spirit of “upholding high standard” and “professionalism” and the attitude of “resolute perseverance”, at the CHOICE Issue 500 press conference, 3 primary pupils were invited to act as the junior spokespersons for the development history of CHOICE, walking the audience through the content of the issues of 100, 200, 300, 400. Drawing parallels between the past and more recent reports, it testified that times may change and the focus in the test and research on products may vary accordingly, but CHOICE mission remains unfailingly with “resolute perseverance” to enhance and safeguard the rights and interests of consumers, and to empower consumers through dissemination educational information especially on sustainable consumption.
Further, for celebration of CHOICE reaching its issue 500, the Council will have a time capsule exercise for collecting wishes and blessings to CHOICE from society. The exercise was unveiled by the 3 junior spokespersons at the CHOICE Issue 500 press conference. The Council is now inviting all members of the public to visit CHOICE’s booth in the forthcoming Hong Kong Book Fair and write their personal messages on cards. Later, the time capsule with all the messages received will be officially sealed in the Consumer Rights Reporting Awards Ceremony in late July. The Council sees society’s wishes and blessings to CHOICE as a driving force, and aspires to reach the magazine’s Issue 1,000 hand in hand with the members of the public of Hong Kong.