New survey shows press freedom is at its lowest in Hong Kong says research by Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) and Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute (HKPORI). Overall, the Freedom of Press Index which measures press freedom with the help of a scale ranging from 0 to 100 sank to the nadir – 25. This is a marked reduction from last year and a more dramatic, down 17 points since the first year of the survey in 2013.
The survey collected opinions from more than 250 journalists and 1000 public persons and revealed increasing concerns about freedom of the press in the city. More than 9 journalists said that the new national security law implemented in March is one of the main causes. Dubbed Article 23, the law focuses on offenses including espionage and foreign interference and is based on a law implemented in Beijing in 2020, which was adopted after the democracy campaign.
Among the things that worried journalists most was the arrest of the founder of Apple Daily, Jimmy Lai, under the 2020 law. In his case,, their action was criticized as an attempt to undermine the media’s freedom of speech for which 94% of journalists claimed to be concerned. Also, the case of Minnie Chan a South China Morning Post reporter who has been missing in Beijing, having last been seen during a security forum last year.
Still, the public awarded the metaphorical press freedom more steadiness, placing it at 42. 2 on the index. In response to the survey,, the Chinese foreign ministry attempted to justify the laws to the effect that the laws are not aimed at independent journalists, but at those who pose a threat to the security of the state.
