I have read both 星岛日报 (published in Hong Kong) and 世界日报 (published in the US, but with an apparent focus on Taiwan) in print and online. Both papers are written in Traditional Chinese, but I notice that the Hong Kong paper is significantly more difficult to read. I notice a few Cantonese expressions scattered throughout, but this isn't enough to explain the increased difficulty. My impression is that 世界日报 uses more colloquial Mandarin expressions whereas 星岛日报 uses more conservative language harking back to Classical Chinese. Has anyone else noticed any pattern of differences in word choice or turns of phrase that would explain why Taiwanese newspapers are easier to read for Mandarin speakers than Hong Kong papers?
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Maybe it is the case. But for me, it s the opposite. Perhaps Taiwan style writings dosent resonate with me.– Toosky HierotOct 13, 2019 at 13:37
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Your question is too broad. Please be more specific and show examples to explain what kinda expressions are easier and more difficult for you to read, to meet the requirment of stackexchange– wadaOct 16, 2019 at 3:00
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A historical reason,maybe. There's a lot of immigrants from the Chinese mainland in Taiwan, those immigrants speak Mandarin. Hong Kong people speak Cantonese,same as Guangdong,which is different from Mandarin.
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Hong Kong has also had a heavy influx of Mainland immigrants, not all of them Cantonese speakers. Shanghai comes to mind. Conversely, Cantonese speakers were influential in establishing a Nationalist regime in Taiwan. Nonetheless, I have noticed more uniquely Mandarin words like 他，不，是，in Taiwanese newspapers.– K ManOct 23, 2019 at 21:31