Journalists, legislators and newspapers yesterday opposed the setting up of a watchdog to monitor privacy intrusion by the media, as recommended by the Law Reform Commission yesterday.
Both the Hong Kong Journalists' Association and the News Executives' Association said the proposal was unacceptable.
They said self-discipline was better than establishing a body, its members appointed by Tung Chee-hwa, to monitor press actions.
The Journalists' Association said the proposal would damage press freedom particularly when the SAR's democratic structure was not solid and Beijing kept making intimidating remarks about the media.
'We agree improvement should be made on press ethics but it should be achieved by self-discipline rather than restricted by a set of criteria set by the Government,' the Journalists' Association said.
Ronald Chiu Ying-chun of the News Executives' Association said the industry rather than the Government should take the lead to promote its code of conduct.
