As the protests in Hong Kong enter their sixth month, one thing that stands out is the one-sided reporting by the Western media. News outlets such as CNN, BBC, Al Jazeera, The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Guardian have been openly partisan, singing praises of the protesters. They have been selective in their reporting and used language in a way that favors one side over the other.

The mayhem in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region would definitely not be allowed in any other place; note the way the state acted against the Occupy Wall Street Movement protesters in the United States, and the yellow vests (gilets jaunes) in France.

Contrary to popular belief, the Western media is not free but beholden to and influenced by corporate advertising clients and interest groups, including the political and financial elite.