The Chinese Journalists- Turned-YouTubers and the Journalistic Role

Chapter 2 explores the rise of Chinese-speaking journalists-turned-YouTubers across Hong Kong, mainland China, and Taiwan, emphasizing how political context and self-perception influence their journalistic identities. Based on interviews with nine creators, this chapter demonstrates that YouTube serves different functions: in Hong Kong, it is a space of resilience and exile where displaced journalists maintain credibility through financial analysis, hybrid lifestyle news, or sober commentary; in mainland China, it acts as a platform of necessity, allowing silenced or exiled journalists to rebuild professional authority and connect with audiences beyond the firewall; in Taiwan, it offers an opportunity for reinvention, as journalists leave television to pursue independence or adapt the island’s polarized talk-show culture to digital formats. These pathways highlight various understandings of “journalist” and “news,” from strict verification to hybrid models of commentary and branding. Ultimately, this chapter argues that journalistic authority on YouTube depends on political systems, audience environments, and creators’ identity negotiations, making the platform both a place of continuity and redefinition for Chinese-language journalism.