Because of Hong Kong's administrative status, local media have a unique access to information about China that is widely off-limits to the rest of the world. But new state security laws signal a clampdown on the freedom of the press
Subscribe to the Journalism.co.uk podcast on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud and Spotify
China is ranked 177th out of 180 countries on the World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders.
The situation in Hong Kong - officially known as the Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China - on the other hand is slightly better. It is ranked 80th on the same index, and the media there - especially those writing and reporting in the English language - benefit from unique access to a closed information system.
That status, however, is fragile. Hong Kong dropped seven points in the press freedom index from 2019 and the prognosis only looks worse. The National Security Law imposed on the region by Beijing aims to clamp down on the spread of ideas of independence nationally and internationally. It carries the potential of life imprisonment for acts of "secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with a foreign country or external elements to endanger national security" which could be applied to news reporting.
Add to that last month's proposals which meant that police no longer had to recognise journalists not registered with the government. For freelance journalists and journalism students especially, this is a significant hit to press freedom.
In this week's podcast, Ronson Chan, deputy assignment editor for not-for-profit, pro-democracy website Stand News explains how his team are affected by the new developments and how the press situation is only getting worse.
Before the National Security Law was enacted, Chan himself was a victim of doxxing in December 2019, when the police intentionally held his press card in front of a police live-stream that was viewed by 10,000 people in 40 seconds.
He talks about immediate concern for the editorial freedom of his team and fear for the next generation of Hong Kong journalists who will be discouraged from entering the industry.
Calling all Telegram users: join our journalism news channel to receive an audio update every Monday morning, and our journalism jobs channel to find out the latest opportunities
If you like our news and feature articles, you can sign up to receive our free daily (Mon-Fri) email newsletter (mobile friendly).
Sign up to receive job alerts of your choice by email, or manage your subscription
Featured recruiter: click to view its vacancies
The UK’s largest independent investigative journalism organisation seeks a fact checker with proven experience in fact-checking or editing journalistic content, ideally investigations. Hybrid working
Subscribe to our newsletter for latest news, tips, jobs and more
End that deadline stress today and find help in our freelance directory
Kindred Forest partners with Volker Lehmann and local families to bring Wild Beniano Cacao from the Amazon direct to the UK for first time. The Wild Chocolate bar blends rare flavours and sustainability: 20 per cent of profits go to rainforest conservation
Our next Newsrewired conference will be in May 2025, London.
Conferences and study weeks are fantastic opportunities to get the latest updates on the industry and network with your peers
Awards are a great way to have your hard work recognised by industry experts and celebrate your teams. Here is where you can apply
If you find your social feeds a tad too heavy on men's voices, follow and connect with these fantastic women experts on indie media
How do you move print readers to digital? Are there other ways to hold on to subscribers besides a last-ditch deal?
