本文以香港美新處出版的《四海》畫報（1951–1956）為中心，探究香港美新處如何透 過「畫報」的宣傳形式，尋求東南亞讀者的共鳴，塑造其自由世界的想像。本文透過 美國國家檔案局《四海》畫報的文獻，討論這份被視為《今日世界》姊妹品的畫報，是 香港美新處針對東南亞讀者所發行的新聞圖片雜誌，也是當時東南亞自由陣營最早 的一份畫報。透過《四海》畫報的研究，除了看到以照片為主體的畫報，扮演圖片記 實和意識型態塑造的功能，在「娛樂」中帶有「政治」，並具有大眾化和商業化的特 質，目的在以更符合經濟理性的方式，實現美國權力文化宣傳的目標，以爭取自由 世界更多讀者對於美方和自由中國的認同。其次，透過《四海》畫報的編輯運作，可 以看到美國權力透過在地中介者可能產生的變化，美方掌握大方向，確保意識型態 上的正確，至於形式等細節，則交由在地中介者決定。最後，本文嘗試思考香港畫 報史的可能性。在既有對於晚清畫報的研究中，可以看到香港製造的畫報，除了受 到中國畫報傳統的影響，還有如《四海》畫報被視為是香港的《生活雜誌》，彰顯在香 港畫報的發展過程中的上海與美國因素。

This study is centred on the Four Seas Pictorial (1951–1956) published by the U.S. Information Service in Hong Kong, and investigates how the USIS used the Four Seas Pictorial as propaganda to seek resonance from readers in Southeast Asia and shape their imagination of the free world. The study collects documents on the Four Seas Pictorial from the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration to research a publication that was considered a sister product of World Today, as well as a pictorial news magazine issued by the Hong Kong USIS for Southeast Asian readers, and the first pictorial in Western-aligned Southeast Asia. Through research on the Four Seas Pictorial, aside from the pictorial record and ideological formation functions of the pictures, we also find that “politics” within the “entertainment” was characterized by mass appeal and commercialization. The objective was to realize the cultural propaganda objectives of American power in a more economically rational way in order to win the support from more readers in the free world of the United States and Free China. In addition, through the editing of the Four Seas Pictorial, we can see the possible changes in American power through its local intermediaries. The overall direction of the United States was to maintain the correct ideology, but details, including the form it should take, were decided by local intermediaries. Finally, the study reflects on the possibility of a history of Hong Kong pictorials. In existing research on late Qing pictorials, we can find pictorials produced in Hong Kong. In addition to the influence of the Chinese pictorial tradition, we also have publications such as the Four Seas Pictorial, which has been regarded as the Hong Kong version of Life, showing both Shanghai and American influences in the development of Hong Kong pictorials.