Hong Kong press freedom in further decline, according to press group survey of journalists in city
Hong Kong Free Press
Hong Kong press freedom has fallen further according to a survey of media workers in the city, who separately said that that a recently enacted security law had “significantly impacted” the industry.
According to the results of the Hong Kong Journalists Association’s (HKJA) annual press freedom index, published on Tuesday, the rating recorded by reporters was just 25 out of 100, the lowest since the survey was first conducted in 2013.
Reporters said they were more hesitant to criticise the city’s government, that it was more difficult for the media to function as a watchdog, and that it had become more difficult to access information, according to HKJA’s survey.
The Press Freedom Index evaluates press freedom in Hong Kong according to 10 factors, including hesitation when criticising the central and local governments, whether owners or managers exert pressure at work, whether the media can perform its function as a watchdog, and whether there is self-censorship.
When asked which incidents had harmed the freedom of the press in 2023, respondents cited the ongoing trial of pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai; foreign reporters who had covered 2019 protests and unrest being denied entry into Hong Kong; the disappearance of SCMP reporter Minnie Chan, who went missing following a reporting trip in Beijing; and the suspension of political cartoonist “Zunzi”‘s comic strip by Ming Pao.
The HKJA commissioned Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute (PORI) to conduct the survey, with 1,007 members of the public and 251 reporters interviewed between March and May.
Chief Executive John Lee said in May that the media could “ask questions” but not provoke conflicts or make slanderous remarks, and that the news industry must abide by professional ethics and provide readers with accurate and comprehensive information.
HKJA has come under fire from Hong Kong authorities and state-backed media since the city was wracked by months-long protests and unrest in 2019. The press group has been accused of smearing the police force, allowing “fake journalists” to join, and protecting protesters.
Last month, HKJA chair Selina Cheng was fired by American newspaper The Wall Street Journal, allegedly over her role with the press union.
Rating by public slightly increased
Hongkongers in general did not exhibit the same concern about press freedom as those in the industry, with the press freedom rating reported by the public rising slightly to 42.2 out of 100, from 41.4 last year.
Members of the public said they had noticed a drop in the diversity of stances displayed in the media, while all nine other factors showed an improvement in 2023.
According to the HKJA’s Press Freedom Index, the public perception of press freedom has declined from 49.4 in 2013, falling to 41.9 in 2019. It has hovered around 41 for the past four years.
More reporters found article 23 harmful
Separately, the survey also evaluated perceptions of Article 23, the city’s homegrown national security law that was enacted in March. Ninety-two per cent of reporters said the newly-established law would have a significant impact on the freedom of the press.
Among the public, 39 per cent said the law would have a “significant impact” on press freedom, while 21 per cent said “half half,” and 36 per cent said it would have “little or no impact.”
Separate to the 2020 Beijing-enacted security law, the homegrown Safeguarding National Security Ordinance targets treason, insurrection, sabotage, external interference, sedition, theft of state secrets and espionage. It allows for pre-charge detention of to up to 16 days, and suspects’ access to lawyers may be restricted, with penalties involving up to life in prison. Article 23 was shelved in 2003 amid mass protests, remaining taboo for years. But, on March 23, 2024, it was enacted having been fast-tracked and unanimously approved at the city’s opposition-free legislature.
The law has been criticised by rights NGOs, Western states and the UN as vague, broad and “regressive.” Authorities, however, cited perceived foreign interference and a constitutional duty to “close loopholes” after the 2019 protests and unrest.
All HKFP staff are members of the HKJA, whilst Hans Tse is a member of the 2024-25 Executive Committee.
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