This paper suggests that the upcoming transfer of Hong Kong from Great Britain to the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1997, offers a unique opportunity to observe how changing configurations in the political environment influence mass media. The article investigates how the Hong Kong press, which spans the entire left-center-right ideological spectrum, has begun to adapt its "journalistic paradigms" because of the political transition. The paper also (1) develops the concept of "journalistic paradigm" (taken-for-granted and unspoken assumptions); (2) traces the emergence of a dualistic power structure (colonial and Xinhau [New China] News Agency) in Hong Kong; (3) examines political ideology and partisan affiliation of the press; and (4) compares the direction and magnitude of editorial paradigm shifts in relation to press ideology. A content analysis of several newspapers, reported in the paper, reveals that the shifts of the "journalistic paradigms" are contingent upon the press' political affiliations--the rightist press has gradually converged with the centrist press, shifting from an initial stance favoring continued British rule to accommodate the PRC's takeover of Hong Kong, and the leftist press has reduced its anti-colonial overtone. One table of data and 73 notes are included. (MS)