The Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) has hailed its “best fundraising results in years” from an online auction, which was held after two hotels axed its annual dinner venue reservations.
Hong Kong Journalist Association chair Selina Cheng unveils calligraphy with the words “Stride forward together” from a poem by lyricist Poon Yuen-leung outside Eaton HK hotel on Thursday, February, 20 2025. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.
In a newsletter to its members on Sunday, the HKJA announced its fundraising campaign gad raised about 50 per cent more than the target amount. The result was approximately equivalent to the general budget of the press union for five to six months, the press union said.
The 24-hour auction held last month featured 11 items, including Chinese calligraphy works, paintings and a handmade bag. The item with the highest winning bid – HK$104,000 – was a Chinese calligraphy work by Hong Kong lyricist Albert Leung, better known by his pen name Lin Xi.
According to the HKJA’s website, the auction generated over HK$235,000 in total. They also raised money through selling HKJA merchandise, although the press group did not disclose the revenue from these sales.
The HKJA thanked members for “all the love and support amid this challenging time” and pledged it “will continue to serve the journalism community and push for press freedom in Hong Kong.”
Gala cancelled
The HKJA resorted to holding an online auction and relaunching its merchandise sale after two hotels cancelled its annual dinner venue reservations.
The Regal Hongkong Hotel in Causeway Bay. Photo: Wikicommons.
When an HKFP reporter visited the venue on February 14, a Valentine’s Day matchmaking event was taking place at the function room the HKJA had booked. Three staff members had no knowledge of a power failure.
In the Sunday newsletter, HKJA also said the two hotels had refunded its deposits. Only a few people who purchased tickets to the gala dinner had decided to get a refund, the press group said.
USAID claim
The HKJA, the city’s largest press union, has met with increasing pressure from authorities over recent years. During the protests and unrest in 2019, pro-Beijing voices accused the group of smearing the police force, allowing “fake journalists” to join, and protecting protesters.
Hong Kong Journalists Association. Photo: Selina Cheng/HKFP.
The press union also faced accusations by pro-Beijing media and groups that it received funding from the US Agency for International Development (USAID). Some alleged that the HKJA’s recent fundraising efforts were linked to the USAID cuts.
The HKJA refuted the claim on Sunday, saying that the US government had published data on its overseas funding, which showed that no organisations in Hong Kong had received money from USAID.
