Ming (not his real name) is a 15-year-old growing up in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) in 2019. Like many of his generation, he is an avid reader of the Apple Daily, especially on his digital device. Speaking to CGTN's Liu Xin, Ming said that apart from Apple Daily, his other news sources include HK01, a Hong Kong-based online news portal.

Founded in 1994 by Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai, Apple Daily is well-known for its anti-establishment views. The paper is believed to have played a key role in instigating student protesters during the 2019 protests in the territory. 

One day after the fugitive bill was gazetted, Apple Daily called the bill an ordinance that required one to be "deported to China." Using impactful visuals, the Daily disseminated fear that under the bill, the Chinese mainland's judicial system will be applied to Hong Kong, and that no one will be safe. It glossed over the scope of the bill and its explicit purpose of tackling crime. The bill was quickly demonized.

According to lawyer Maria Tam Wai-chu, also deputy director of the Basic Law Committee, anti-government media has "filled all the airspace in Hong Kong".

Apple Daily also targeted the police by customarily describing them as an "evil force of brutality." Jimmy Lai also reportedly expressed his admiration for the young people who had confronted the police.

Chinese University of Hong Kong emeritus professor Lau Siu-kai said some segments of society had "continually encouraged the young to openly fight for referendums, independence and separatism."

Lau added: "With no sense of affinity for or knowledge of the country and the people, it's easy for the young to feel that they are rescuing Hong Kong. This sentiment, together with the opposition media who praise the young as heroes, gave rise to a feeling of heroism."

To catch the full CGTN documentary Lost in Hong Kong – Liu Xin's Perspective, please click on the following link: https://news.cgtn.com/news/2020-03-28/Lost-in-Hong-Kong-Liu-Xin-s-Perspective-PdLsVpA4Sc/index.html