Press freedom hits new low in Hong Kong

Press freedom hits new low in Hong Kong

Press freedom has hit its lowest in nine years in politically troubled Hong Kong as China tightens its grip on the former British colony, according to the latest survey report from the Hong Kong Journalist Association (HKJA).

Freedom of the press in Hong Kong, once known as one of the world’s freest cities, dropped from 32.1 points in 2021 to 26.2 points this year, the worst since 2013, says the report released on Sept. 23.   

In a statement the group said press freedom has “drastically deteriorated over the past year” and cited the shrinking news industry in the city-state as a direct cause of the issue, Hong Kong Free Press (HKFP) reported on Sept. 24.

“As a direct consequence of a shrinking news industry, less information of public interest is now available, and those that remain accessible become more homogenous than diverse,” the statement read.

Leaders of the HKJA also said that many of the journalists feared retaliation from the Hong Kong administration for sharing their feedback in the survey.

“Some journalists we approached for the survey said they fear the HKJA is in the crosshairs of authorities and therefore they fear retribution for filling out a questionnaire conducted by the HKJA,” the statement read.

“You can imagine how the environment Hong Kong reporters and journalists face is”

In response to the HKJA report and its subsequent statement, state-backed media outlets have criticized the group calling them a “fake union” that had “caused chaos in Hong Kong.”

The group has already come under fire from Hong Kong’s pro-Beijing administration.

The HKJA chairman, Ronson Chan has been charged with obstructing police officers while reporting this month.

“You can imagine how the environment Hong Kong reporters and journalists face is — it’s not a very easy environment,” Chan said earlier this month to HKFP.

The police charged Chan after he asked the officers for their identification and warrant card.

Founded in 1968, the HKJA conducts an annual survey on press freedom in Hong Kong and releases the index based on responses from media personnel and the public.

This year’s survey conducted in May received responses from 169 media personnel and 1,016 members of the public.

“The administration encourages media outlets that promote the pro-Beijing narrative”

The group said the response rate was 22.9 percent this year compared to 82.8 percent in 2021.

The survey also found out the outlook that the media personnel and the public had toward press freedom in the city-state.

Of the respondents, 97 percent of media workers and 53.5 percent of the public felt that press freedom in Hong Kong had become “much worse” in the past year.

However, press freedom is now an exclusive affair in the city-state wherein the administration encourages media outlets that promote the pro-Beijing narrative.

The HKFP and other news outlets were denied entry to a recent event for media workers celebrating China’s upcoming National Day attended by Hong Kong’s Chief Executive John Lee.

The organizers of the event stated that only “mainstream media outlets” were invited. However, state-run outlets and the South China Morning Post attended the event, reported HKFP.

“Press freedom in Hong Kong continued to deteriorate following the 2019 pro-democracy protests”

Beijing officials have indicated the enactment of a “fake news law,” which critics fear can be used to suppress press freedom further.

Press freedom in Hong Kong continued to deteriorate following the 2019 pro-democracy protests, which Beijing countered by enacting the draconian National Security Law in 2020.

On Jun. 24, 2021, the Apple Daily newspaper was forced to shut down by Beijing. Stand News and Citizen News — both online news websites — were shut down in December 2021 and January 2022, respectively.

Catholic media mogul, pro-democracy activist, and Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai are among the media personalities facing charges of conspiracy for allegedly publishing seditious content, fraud, and conspiracy to commit collusion with foreign forces or with external elements under the National Security Law.

Meanwhile, Cardinal Joseph Zen along with five fellow democracy supporters went on trial on Sept. 26 over their role in running a fund to help defend people arrested in anti-government protests.

Charging Cardinal Zen, one of Asia’s highest-ranking Catholic clerics, for “colluding with foreign forces” followed by his arrest on May 11, 2022, caused an international uproar.