“Heroes and villains”: Media constructions of minoritized groups in Hong Kong’s season of discontent

Hong Kong witnessed unprecedented protests from June 2019 to early 2020. Drawing on frame analysis, this study explores the discourse and ideologies related to minoritized groups using multiple media sources. The findings revealed that there were multiple constructions of minoritized groups and their engagement in the protests: Niche/pro-democracy and liberal media were inclined to make “heroes” of their engagement while pro-China media seemed to revert to an older style of negative reporting portraying them as “villains.” The exploitation of minoritized groups for political purposes raises important issues about media ethics, “fake news,” and the role of ideology in news reporting. Copyright © 2023 The Author(s).