Evaluating the stance of media reports in Hong Kong anti-extradition bill protest

The recent anti-extradition bill movement in Hong Kong which involved millions of citizens protesting against the government, got massively reported by local, China and International media agencies. Given the influential role of media in setting policy agenda and affecting public’s perception, this paper explores how Hong Kong (HK), Chinese and International media express their stances through evaluating their use of appraisal resources. Our findings indicated diverse stance expressed in the media reports where International media expressed stronger negative emotions towards Hong Kong Government and China Central Government (CCG). Chinese media expressed significant higher positive judgment towards CCG and HKG officers while significant higher negative assessment on the anti-extradition bill protest and Hong Kong values and development is found in the HK media. This paper contributes to the research of public crisis and media analysis through the use of appraisal framework and offers practical insights for crisis communication professionals and policymakers.