#MediaFreedom
Hong Kong Police arrest #RTHK producer Bao Choy, #HKJA: 'Police is picking on media'
Hong Kong police arrested the producer of the RTHK programme 'Hong Kong Connection', Bao Choy Yuk-ling, on Nov 3, 2020.
Hong Kong's major media unions including the RTHK Programme Staff Union criticized the police's unreasonable attack on the freedom of press at a joint press conference held on two days later on Nov 5, 2020.
Chiu Sin-yan, the chairwoman of the RTHK Programme Staff Union said that they had been discussing the arrest with the RTHK management and urged the management to offer assistance to Choy. Chiu added that RTHK would continue with its investigative reporting, stick to the common practice of using public records in their investigations, and uphold press freedom, as the case had not been closed.
Yeung Kin-hing, chairperson of the Hong Kong Journalist Association (HKJA) said that police was picking on media in Hong Kong, and HKJA was seeking legal advice about the arrest. He then challenged that if government still regards press freedom and public's right to know as parts of public interest. He added that the small-scale and online news media could not afford any lawsuits, and slammed government for 'this ludicrous attack on journalists'.
Hui Fong-man, the chairperson of the Ming Pao Staff Association stressed that using the public records was a common practice in investigating the interest-based relationship and identities. The government's outlawing of this routine practice without any consultation with the media industry amounts to 'setting a trap for the journalists' , as how the boundary line is drawn is unknown.
Lam Ching-kit, the representative of the Journalism Educators for Press Freedom, and senior lecturer of Journalism and Communication Department of Chu Hai College said that checking public records had always been a legitimate fact-checking exercise, which also provides information for analysis in journalism students' reports. Journalism education will be affected by this arrest, as teachers cannot ask students to bear such risk, related reports and investigations will be thereby delayed.
Source: InMedia#Nov5
https://bit.ly/3mT057t
#pressfreedom #RTHKarrest
Hong Kong Police arrest #RTHK producer Bao Choy, #HKJA: 'Police is picking on media'
Hong Kong police arrested the producer of the RTHK programme 'Hong Kong Connection', Bao Choy Yuk-ling, on Nov 3, 2020.
Hong Kong's major media unions including the RTHK Programme Staff Union criticized the police's unreasonable attack on the freedom of press at a joint press conference held on two days later on Nov 5, 2020.
Chiu Sin-yan, the chairwoman of the RTHK Programme Staff Union said that they had been discussing the arrest with the RTHK management and urged the management to offer assistance to Choy. Chiu added that RTHK would continue with its investigative reporting, stick to the common practice of using public records in their investigations, and uphold press freedom, as the case had not been closed.
Yeung Kin-hing, chairperson of the Hong Kong Journalist Association (HKJA) said that police was picking on media in Hong Kong, and HKJA was seeking legal advice about the arrest. He then challenged that if government still regards press freedom and public's right to know as parts of public interest. He added that the small-scale and online news media could not afford any lawsuits, and slammed government for 'this ludicrous attack on journalists'.
Hui Fong-man, the chairperson of the Ming Pao Staff Association stressed that using the public records was a common practice in investigating the interest-based relationship and identities. The government's outlawing of this routine practice without any consultation with the media industry amounts to 'setting a trap for the journalists' , as how the boundary line is drawn is unknown.
Lam Ching-kit, the representative of the Journalism Educators for Press Freedom, and senior lecturer of Journalism and Communication Department of Chu Hai College said that checking public records had always been a legitimate fact-checking exercise, which also provides information for analysis in journalism students' reports. Journalism education will be affected by this arrest, as teachers cannot ask students to bear such risk, related reports and investigations will be thereby delayed.
Source: InMedia#Nov5
https://bit.ly/3mT057t
#pressfreedom #RTHKarrest