Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa said yesterday he hoped the media could help promote solidarity and people's trust in the Government. Mr Tung, speaking at the News Awards 2001 organised by the Newspaper Society of Hong Kong, also renewed promises to better assess the public's reaction in his second term, which starts in July. He has admitted deficiencies in his first five-year term, saying public reactions to some of his reforms could have been assessed better. Mr Tung said the Government would be more pro-active in presenting its views. 'We certainly hope that the media can help strengthen interaction, reinforce mutual trust and facilitate mutual encouragement between the Government and the people. This will contribute to building solidarity with the community,' he said. Political analyst Lau Siu-kai of the Chinese University said Mr Tung's appeal showed he had been dissatisfied that the media had provoked confrontation. 'The media in Hong Kong adopt an adversarial approach towards the Government. They promote a gloomy view and stir up grievances,' he said. He believed Mr Tung would do more to influence opinion through the media. But Cyd Ho Sau-lan of The Frontier criticised Mr Tung for trying to turn the media into the Government's mouthpiece. 'It's not up to the Chief Executive to influence how media should operate,' she said. 'If the Government has done something against public interest, mistrust will emerge.' Noting that some sections of the media had been biased against the Government's view in their coverage, Ms Ho stressed reporters should play the role of a watchdog looking over the Government rather than reporting officials' statements word-by-word.
