Hong Kong’s leader urges journalists to stay away from ‘camouflaged media’ and bad apples in the industry that have carried out illegal acts
- Chief executive warns media workers that no one is above the law and everyone needs to fulfil their civic responsibility
- John Lee asks journalists to use their strength to ‘tell the Hong Kong stories well’
Hong Kong’s leader has urged journalists to stay away from “camouflaged media” and bad apples in the industry that have carried out illegal acts while reminding them to tell the city’s stories well.
While stressing press freedom was protected under the Basic Law, the city’s mini-constitution, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said “no one is above the law”.
“Journalists are responsible for reporting the truth in an objective, fair and impartial manner,” Lee said at a reception organised by the city’s news industry on Thursday ahead of National Day on October 1.
“But journalists are also Hong Kong residents. Everyone is equal before the law of Hong Kong and no one has privileges. Everyone needs to fulfil our civic responsibility in accordance with the law.”
Lee said he believed the journalists at the reception all “love the country and Hong Kong” and they hoped to improve people’s livelihoods through their objective reporting and commentaries, but he warned them to be aware of those who broke the law.
“I hope that all members of the press will be able to distinguish right from wrong and stay away from these camouflaged media organisations and bad apples who undermine press freedom,” he said, referring to groups which did illegal things in the name of journalism.
Lee also urged media workers to use their strength to “tell the Hong Kong stories well”. The city leader had repeatedly vowed to reform the government’s publicity approach to a bold, proactive one in “speaking up against smearing by foreign forces” and “telling stories of Hong Kong and China well”.
