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#Professionalism #Solidarity
5 Heads of i-Cable News and Entire China News Team Resign En Masse Against Laying Off of Journalists

Source: Stand News #Dec1

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https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/27047
#Professionalism #Solidarity
5 Heads of i-Cable News and Entire China News Team Resign En Masse Against Laying Off of Journalists

On Dec 1, 2020, i-Cable News laid off 40 employees with immediate effect, angering staff at the TV news station.

According to the source, the head of i-Cable China News Szeto Yuen was the first to protest by resigning, followed by the rest of the journalists on the team. In total, one journalist was fired, and the other ten on the team, including Szeto, quit in protest. Some members from other teams also resigned to protest against the company's decision.

A senior journalist told Stand News that they felt it was better to take action together and alert the public that i-Cable News had deteriorated, instead being slowly and quietly weakened. He added that it was not worth staying anymore, since the management has intervened in the reporting again and again.

After recent salary cuts, a few junior journalists were only earning around 13,000 HKD a month. Operations at i-Cable News has nearly ground to a halt on Dec 1, 2020.

An upper-mid-level manager said that the top management had not consulted any department heads about this round of firing. The video editors and graphic designers who were fired were widely praised for their abilities by their colleagues. Many of the fired staff played important roles in middle and senior management.

i-Cable China News had investigated corrupt practices in China many times, and followed up the situation of activists; the team was long regarded to be in high reputation.

They were among the few public broadcasters in Hong Kong with a dedicated team for China news; its 11 members, including the team leader, are responsible for the daily China news reporting and the night-time “China Report”. They also have journalists regularly stationed in Beijing and Guangzhou.

Their most visible reporting in recent years were the 2012 interview of pro-democracy activist Li Wangyang, who served the longest sentence among those from the 1989 Tiananmen protests.

After broadcasting the interview, Li died in Daxiang Hospital, where he was found dead and leaning against the window, with a rope wrapped around his neck, though his legs were touching the ground. The Chinese authorities initially reported that he committed suicide, but they later changed the conclusion to “accidental death”. This incident caused strong repercussions in Hong Kong, with over ten thousand Hongkongers marching in protest, believing that Li "had been suicided".

In 2017, journalist Lam Kin-Shing covered the memorial at sea for Liu Xiaobo by a group of dissenters, the event was broadcast on Facebook live. Afterwards, Liu’s friends were arrested by China police, and the driver hired by i-Cable China News was detained for three days. Lam was transferred back to Hong Kong and barred from reporting in China again; he resigned soon after.

At the early stage of the Wuhan Pneumonia outbreak last year, China News team sent journalists to Wuhan for investigation. They were among the very few Hong Kong media who sent journalists to Wuhan for on-site reporting.

Moreover, the iCable China News team's reporting had won many awards, including Human Right Press Award and awards in the School of Journalism and Communication in CUHK. Their award-winning programs included “Damage of Nuclear weapons tests”, “The land acquisitions incident of Wukan village”, “ Li Wangyang”, “Even China police are protesting”, “Decoding the future of 30 years later”, “Tiananmen massacre 30th year anniversary”, “Poison milk powder: 10 years later”.

Source: Stand News #Dec1

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Related News:

All Department Heads from iCable News Quit After the Company Sacks 40 Staff in News Team

https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/27039

#WuhanPneumonia #LiWangYang #ChinaNewsTeam #iCable #MassResignation #SzetoYuen #Respect #Integrity #Journalism
#Justice
Top Judge in Hong Kong Defends Hong Kong’s Independent Judiciary in Farewell Speech

Chief Justice Geoffrey Ma, Hong Kong's top judge for 10 years, delivered his farewell speech at the Court of Final Appeal in Hong Kong on Jan 6, 2021.

Ma made strong statement in defense of the importance of Hong Kong’s independent judiciary and stressed that human rights are a fundamental feature of the Basic Law.

“It is not just about being conducive to business and investment. Nor is it only about law and order. It also includes the recognition and enforcement of those rights we call human rights and fundamental freedoms (such as the freedom of assembly, of procession, of association and the freedom of the press), always of course recognising as well the importance of the respect for the rights and entitlements of others in the community.”

“The importance we place on rights and freedoms is a fundamental feature of of the Basic Law."

“So whenever there are discussions about the rule of law, the independence of the judiciary, and the role and responsibilities of judges in relation to these fundamental features, the foundation for such discussions must be to refer to the Basic Law,” the top judge said.

“They are not in any way strange concepts that have been transplanted randomly to apply in Hong Kong: they are concepts required by, protected by and to be enforced under the very constitutional document that governs Hong Kong.”

“To repeat a phrase that bears reminding at all times: no one is above the law, all are subject to it and everyone is equal in the eyes of the law.”

"As we know, such criticisms can be trenchant, even to the point of being abusive on occasion, but in spite of this our judges have remained true to their calling. Sometimes, I think that courage is needed.” 

[Editor's note: On the same day, the Hong Kong police, with the support of the government's Security Bureau, arrested over 50 pro-democracy activists, former lawmakers, lawyer, and scholars under the National Security Law. The act has stirred up outcry and uproar within the outside of the city.]

Source: RTHK #Jan6
https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1569026-20210106.htm

#GeoffreyMa #JudicialIndependence #Professionalism #Court
#Court #PressFreedom
Arrested Journalist Suspended by
#RTHK Before Court's Ruling: I Feel Being Doubly Punished

RTHK journalist #BaoChoy appeared in court on Jan 14, 2021. She was accused of making false statements and violating the Road Traffic Ordinance by "not disclosing the real reason" for licence plate checks in 2020. Choy pleaded not guilty.

Choy produced two episodes of the news documentary "Hong Kong Connection" with an aim to find the perpetrators of the Yuen Long 7.21 mob attack, which injured many pro-democracy protesters, journalists and civilians on July 21, 2019.

Since Choy was arrested in November 2020, the public broadcaster RTHK has suspended her duties.

The RTHK Programme Staff Union voiced their support for Choy outside the court. After the hearing, Choy said she was disappointed with RTHK's decision before any trial took place. She felt being punished for twice for doing her job.

“I would expect RTHK to take up its moral responsibility, as well as showcasing the integrity of a media organisation. From this perspective, the decision of RTHK management to suspend me from my role as a journalist and producer of Hong Kong Connection was quite disappointing for me.”

Source: InMedia; RTHK #Jan14

https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1570423-20210114.htm

https://bit.ly/2LwjvlE

#Journalist #Professionalism

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Related News

HK Government's New Service Might Let Journalists Be Doxed

https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/27916
#Hope
Daring Chief Editor in #CitizenNews Welcomes Journalists who Left #CableNews on #MassResignation: “We Have Nothing to Lose”

On December 1, 2020, Cable News in Hong Kong announced a major layoff plan after a series of personnel change in the management. The move has triggered a resignation en masse in the station’s newsroom, including 11 journalists and editors of the #ChinaNews team, as a sign of protest.

On January 18, 2021, the 11 of them announced joining of an online news platform, #CitizenNews, and continue their work on China News.

Former Assignment Editor of Cable News, Wong Lai-ping, expressed that it was a spontaneous action in last December when they resigned together in response to the station’s arbitrary layoff plan.

“We have never thought about coming together again. We even doubted whether we should continue working in the media industry.” However, many encouraged them to carry on their journalistic profession and continue to work as a team.

“So we talked among ourselves and agreed to work together with a focus on China News as we always do.”

The Chief Editor of Citizen News, Li Yue-wah said that the collaboration is “unplanned” and the consensus was reached after discussions following the mass resignation in last December.

She stressed that “This is worth trying as we have nothing to lose.” She called it an act “to smash the cooking pots and sink the boats.”

Li also revealed that since its launch 4 years ago, Citizen News has yet to balance its book. They initially set a target at 4,000 subscribers, for each paying a monthly fee of HK$100. “We are still falling short of this target,” Li sighed.

Adding 11 members of the former China News team from Cable News will double the current workforce of Citizen News. In addition, the news platform is planning to move to a bigger office with live-broadcast facilities. “This is going to double our expenses.” Li added.

She further explained that the platform is not going to pend on crowdfunding, which impact is believed to be short-lived. Instead, it is keen on expanding its subscription base to facilitate long-term development.

Source: Stand News #Jan18

#Pheonixism #Journalism #Professionalism
#PoliticalOppression
Vocal journalist in HK faces dismissal by government-funded broadcaster before probe result


#NabelaQoser, a journalist of #RTHK, who confronted Chief Executive of Hong Kong, Carrie Lam over her handling of the 2019 protests for multiple times, is facing dismissal after the public broadcaster ended her three-year-odd probation for a civil service post and offered her a contract for just 120 days.

Qoser’s probation was extended by 120 days in late September 2020, shortly before she was due to complete the three-year probation under civil servant employment terms in October.

The broadcaster launched a probe into her work, citing complaints received against her since July 2020. The results of the probe, originally due in January 2021, would determine if Qoser was to gain a coveted contract as a permanent civil servant.

Source: Apple Daily, #Jan22
https://hk.appledaily.com/news/20210122/ZU6IGCLILZAF5GTP4RBZ3L6RPU/

#RTHK #CivilServant #Journalism #Professionalism #PressFreedom #Reprisal
#Resistance #Solidarity
#RTHK Staff Union Rally to Support Journalist: We Are All #NabelaQoser

On January 28, 2021, more than 60 RTHK employees protested at the headquarters against the station's mistreatment of the journalist Nabela Qoser.

The video shows RTHK staff wearing a mask of Qoser's face and chanting slogans like, “Groundless charges”, and “Politics overriding professionalism”.

Watch video: https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/28440

The management of the public broadcaster had previously launched a probe into complaints made against Qoser, after she enraged Beijing loyalists with her critical questions towards government officials and the Chief Executive Carrie Lam, during the Anti-ELAB movement in 2019.

Qoser was cleared of wrongdoing, but RTHK reopened its investigation in October 2020 and extend Qoser's probation period as a civil servant.

On January 22, 2021, Qoser's contract as a civil servant was terminated by RTHK, which reportedly cited the probe as a reason. Instead, Qoser was offered a new 120-day contract.

The RTHK Programme Staff Union decried the broadcaster’s move as something no difference than firing Qoser.

Source: Stand News #Jan28
https://www.facebook.com/standnewshk/videos/871769913675684

#RTHK #CivilServant #PoliticalOpression #Journalism #Professionalism #PressFreedom #Reprisal
#Professionalism
Three #RTHK Senior Management Refuse to Sign Government's Pledge of Political Allegiance By Quiting

According to sources, three senior management members from the Public and Current Affair Department in the public broadcaster Radio Television Hong Kong (#RTHK) have resigned.

They are Doris Wong Lok-ha, director of the Public and Current Affair Department; the executive producers of the program “Hong Kong Stories” Fong Hiu Shan and of the political satire program “Headliner” Liu Wai-ling.

It was said that Liu and Fong had left last month while Wong resigned on March 2, 2021. The three were employed with a civil servant contract. Their resignation is connected to their refusal to sign the pledge of political allegiance demanded by the Hong Kong government.

The day Wong resigned is also the first day of office of the new Director of Broadcasting Li Pak-chuen who was parachuted to the public broadcaster.

Source: Stand News #Mar2
https://bit.ly/3b45QMI

#Dignity #PoliticalAllegiance
#Journalism #Professionalism
Resigned News Anchor Encourage Hongkongers to Take Care in Challenging Times

Source: Instagram of Wong Chun-yin; Smart Post #Mar24

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#Journalism #Professionalism
Resigned News Anchor Encourage Hongkongers to Take Care in Challenging Times

Wong Chun-yin, a news anchor in Hong Kong working for the TV station TVB, resigned on March 24, 2021.

At the end of his last newscast, Wong bidded farewell to his audiences, “This is my last time to present news here. Hongkongers, take care and goodbye.”

After that, Wong wrote a post on Instagram, in which he described his feelings and experience since joining the journalism industry in Hong Kong.

Wong said he was once struck by excitement when he for the first time rode on the press vehicle of TVB news as a reporter many years ago.

Wong said he used to take pride in being part of the the once well-respected “TVB News” in his profession.

“However, when doing news in the field today, we have to cover up the logo on the news vehicle with a piece of white cloth and take off logo clips on the microphone in order to hide our identity,” Wong wrote.

Reflecting from his years of experience in TVB news team, Wong expressed deep disappointment in the management, which has been regarded a cause of self censorship and the station's deteriorating integrety.

“I faced absurdity every day as a reporter, which I found it torturous," Wong wtote. "Years later, I was promoted from a front-line reporter to a news anchor, which was another eye-opening experience."

"Although I was slightly away from the field, my role as a reporter has never been changed despite the different work positions. I thenrealised that there is, in fact, no cure for in-your-face absurdity.”

Wong quoted what Chris Pattern, the former governor of Hong Kong, said to the Chinese officials when he departed Hong Kong in 1997:

“Hong Kong was like a Rolls-Royce. All you had to do was to take charge of the ignition key, get in, turn on the engine. And the car would go.”

Wong lamented, “Today, the Rolls-Royce probably has become a HengChi. It is unfortunate that the same situation has happened to the TVB news team. It is sad and a lost cause.”

In closing, Wong thanked his colleagues and friends, saying that he will certainly miss the excitement in the journalist's work and the persistence in always looking for the right words to say.

Wong sighed that “the toughest question is that times has changed and it cannot be crawled back to the old days.”

Source: Instagram of Wong Chun-yin; Smart Post #Mar24

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=261981228903048&set=a.246817660419405

#WongChunYin #NewsAnchor #TVB