Hong Kong journalists say city's press freedom has tanked

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• By Ezra Levant

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Secure

Hong Kong journalists rated the city's press freedom at an all-time low of 25 on a zero-to-100 scale, based on an annual survey by the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) and the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute (HKPORI).

The press freedom score dropped by 0.7 points from last year and has decreased by 17 points since the survey's first publication in 2013.

Sheila Gunn Reid looks at secret documents obtained by a Rebel News access to information request that showed Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault signed a deal to "share experts" with Communist China.

FULL REPORT by @SheilaGunnReid: https://t.co/W1Xh5sxUbS pic.twitter.com/qOPYIogyXO

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) November 1, 2023

Over 90% of surveyed journalists believe the new security law enacted in March, known as Article 23, has "significantly" impacted press freedom. This law targets offenses such as espionage and foreign interference, reports Voice Of America.

Article 23 is the second significant security law imposed on Hong Kong, following the 2020 National Security Law introduced by the Chinese Communist Party after large-scale pro-democracy protests.

An overwhelming share of journalists (94%) highlighted the prosecution of media tycoon Jimmy Lai, founder of the now-closed Apple Daily, under the first security law as being "highly damaging" to press freedom.

'There's no way back unless something fundamental changes in the regime in Beijing.'

Benedict Rogers, CEO of Hong Kong Watch, speaks to @Nigel_Farage about Hong Kong shutting down a pre-democracy news outlet. pic.twitter.com/bla7CfpHXy

— GB News (@GBNEWS) December 30, 2021

Concerns were raised over the disappearance of South China Morning Post reporter Minnie Chan, who has been unreachable since attending a security forum in Beijing last year.

The public's overall press freedom rating was 42.2, showing minimal change after a significant drop from 45 in 2018 to 41.9 in 2019.

Hong Kong looks like a war-zone.

The government patch-up jobs will not last. It's time for Beijing to honour the one country, two systems and give the people their five demands, not one less.

WATCH MORE 👉 https://t.co/bMds1EvArE pic.twitter.com/dGln6jVUb1

— Avi Yemini (@OzraeliAvi) January 9, 2020

China's foreign ministry stated that Hong Kong's security laws "target a very small number of individuals who severely endanger national security" and claimed that press freedom is "better protected" under the new laws.

The release of the index followed the firing of HKJA's newly elected chairperson, Selina Cheng, from the Wall Street Journal after taking up her new role. The Journal's parent company, Dow Jones, reaffirmed its commitment to press freedom.