Next Magazine (Hong Kong and Taiwan)

History

Founded on 15 March 1990, Next magazine was the second most popular magazine in Hong Kong, until Jimmy Lai's other magazine, Sudden Weekly, shuttered in 2015. It was published every Wednesday and cost 20 HKD. Next Magazine covered current affairs, political, economic, social and business issues, and entertainment news. The final print edition of the Hong Kong Next Magazine was published on 15 March 2018. After the sister newspaper, Apple Daily and its parent company were raided by Hong Kong police due to national security law charges and its executives were arrested, the online publication of Next Magazine ended on 23 June 2021.

Next Magazine Taiwan branch was established in 2001 and its first issue was published on 31 May 2001. With strong TV advertising support, the first issue's print run of 270,000 sold out within four hours. Although the two magazines had the same structure, Taiwanese Next magazine was locally edited and its contents were different from its sister publication in Hong Kong. It was published every Thursday and cost NTD 75. The Taiwanese Next Magazine published its last print edition on 4 April 2018. Online publication of Next Magazine in Taiwan ended on 29 February 2020.

Legal proceedings

In 2012, Next Magazine and sister publication Apple Daily lost a legal action in the High Court of Hong Kong over libel damages from publishing a story alleging that actress Zhang Ziyi sold sexual favours to former Chinese politician Bo Xilai and other clients for nearly per night.

Major court cases involved (Citations)

1. Next Magazine publishing ltd & anor v Ma Ching Fat [2003] 1 HKC 579
2. Morinda international Hong Kong ltd v Next Magazine publishing ltd & ors [2003] 1 HKC 492
3. Oriental press group ltd & anor v Next Magazine publishing ltd & ors [2001] 3 HKC 159
4. Next Magazine publishing ltd & ors v Oriental Daily publisher ltd [2000] 2 HKC 557
5. China youth development ltd v Next Magazine publishing ltd & ors (HCA6206/1994)
6. Hong Kong polytechnic university v Next magazine [1996] 2 HKLR 260

Related

Founder of Next Magazine, Jimmy Lai, was the subject of a 2022 documentary film titled, The Hong Konger: Jimmy Lai's Extraordinary Struggle for Freedom produced by American think tank, the Acton Institute. The film received widespread praise from critics. The film described the struggles of Jimmy Lai in his attempts at keeping Next Magazine from being forced to close, as well as Lai's efforts to keep other businesses open in light of the new rules restricting freedom of speech enacted after the passage of the Hong Kong national security law.

References

References

1. (23 March 2018). "Taiwan's Next Magazine to scrap print edition, go fully digital". Taipei Times.
2. "Next Magazine bids farewell, says it has 'no regrets' - RTHK".
3. (1 June 2001). "Glossy 'Next' first edition sells rapidly". Taipei Times.
4. (15 March 2018). "Taiwan's Next Magazine to end printed edition". Taiwan News.
5. (4 April 2018). "Taiwan's Next Magazine ends nearly 17 years as printed publication". Taiwan News.
6. (20 February 2020). "Taiwan's Next Magazine to cease publication on Feb. 29".
7. Momtaz, Rym. (31 May 2012). "Paper: Movie Star Allegedly Made $1 Million Per Night as Hooker". [[ABC News (United States).
8. (18 December 2013). "China's Zhang Ziyi wins sex claims case against Boxun". [[BBC]].
9. Smith, Kyle. (2023-05-18). "'The Hong Konger' Review: Jimmy Lai's Moral Heroism". Wall Street Journal.
10. (2022-06-08). "The Hong Konger Documentary Is a Lesson on Freedom".
11. (2022-12-02). "Watch The Hong Konger, about Jimmy Lai, Whose Trial Looms".