The working environment for journalism in Hong Kong has deteriorated since the passing of the national security law, results of a survey published Friday show, and over half of respondents have self-censored to some degree.
The Foreign Correspondents’ Club (FCC) conducted the survey anonymously over two months from late August to late October.
Over 83% of respondents said the working environment has “changed for the worst,” and majority said they had self-censored their writing or avoided covering certain subjects. Among that majority, 16.3% said they had “considerably” self-censored.
“There are certainly some topics that we would now have to think long and hard about covering in any detail,” one respondent wrote.
Another described receiving an editor’s comment, which flagged the potential political sensitivity of quoting somebody who said she came to Hong Kong to get vaccinated as she didn’t trust the jabs in China.
Almost half of the respondents said they were planning on or considering leaving Hong Kong due to concerns over press freedom, while 54% said they intended to stay.
The survey received a total of 99 responses. Seventy work for a foreign media outlet, and 29 work for a local media organization.
Over 90% of respondents said they are “slightly concerned” or “very concerned” about the potential introduction of a “fake news” law in Hong Kong. In July, the government said it was weighing the implementation of a law targeting online disinformation, prompting worry among journalists who fear such legislation could be used to stifle free speech.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted a strongly-worded statement on Facebook Friday afternoon warning the FCC to “stop slandering Hong Kong’s rule of law in the name of freedom of the press,” adding that the club’s “so-called” survey report lacks representation and legitimacy.
Hong Kong ranked at 80th position in Reporters Without Borders (RSF)’s 2021 World Press Freedom index. When the index was first created in 2002, the city was ranked 18th.
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