The Alliance of Hong Kong Online Media Practitioners
Press Release, 27 September 2020
The Alliance of Hong Kong Online Media Practitioners (AHKOMP) responded to the police's revision of the definition of "media representative" in “Police General Order”. The Alliance hoped to send a message to the Hong Kong SAR government and the public that it is rational, legal and reasonable for journalists to report and online news outlets will continue their work.
The Alliance emphasized that media has a vital role in frontline reporting especially during social movement, in order to keep civilians informed of the truth and exercise the power of the 4th estate. In the past year, media reporting was, however, subject to police surveillance.
The Hong Kong Police Force has been obstructing journalists' work by intercepting, arresting and fining small-scale media, online news outlet, freelance journalists and student journalists among others.
At the age of Internet, online news outlets have become an important channel for news dissemination. Journalists working for online news outlets have recorded important footages of many social events: For instance, “Rice Post” captured the scenes at the platform of Prince Edward station on 31 August 2019; “Cupid News” filmed the police shooting of a young man with live rounds at Sai Wan Ho; “Pear Evening News” recorded the police shooting of an Indonesian journalist with rubber round and the police firing tear gas grenades to a fire engine; “Nineteen Media” recorded how the police pushed a pregnant woman to the ground at Argyle Street in Mong Kok. All these incidents have aroused local and international attention and demonstrated the effort of online news outlets in protecting the right of the public to learn the truth.
As technological advancement has facilitated the flow of voices and information in society, the emergence of online news outlet is inevitable in the development of the media industry. Online news outlets allow more people to have access to news on the internet. Being unable to comprehend contemporary trends makes the police lag behind in the progress of society.
The Alliance, moreover, pointed out that upon the amendments to the Police General Orders, only media registered in the Government News and Media Information System (GNMIS) are allowed to enter the police cordon line to interview. This is a backward action. The GNMIS is a communication channel between the government and the media, but not a standard for the former to define the latter. This means that the police are barring freelance journalists, volunteer journalists and small-scale media outlets from reporting.
The Alliance stated that the selective arrangement of which media can enter the cordoned area results in the unequal distribution of reporting right. The police's classification is already an unfair treatment of the media practitioners.
The Alliance responded to the comments that online media practitioners might not meet any "professional standard". The Alliance stated that the discussion of journalists'' standard and the right to report and whether it would become illegal to report are issues of different levels. The former can be decided by the public--it shall be noted that even media registered in the Information Services Department might disseminate fake news. Therefore, the Police should not impose their standard on society and use the “Police General Order” as the principle for media.
Freedom of the press has been the cornerstone of the success of Hong Kong as an international financial city. Limiting the right of online media will suppress the public's right to know and impact the international image of Hong Kong.
The Hong Kong government should not go against these rights that are promised under the “one country two systems” policy and Basic Law. The development of the 4th estate is conducive to safeguarding the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong. If the Hong Kong government continues to obstruct media freedom, it will further damage the possible revamping of society cleavage.
The Alliance reiterated that online media practitioners will keep reporting, uncovering the truth and safeguarding professionalism. The Alliance object the screening of news outlets by the authorities. The government and the police should understand and communicate more with the media industry.
The Alliance of Hong Kong Online Media Practitioners
September 27, 2020