Newspapers help enlighten the government, says Donald Tsang
Newspapers play an important role in the formulation of government policies, Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen told media workers yesterday.
'As a people-oriented government, we need to catch up with the pulse of the public and follow closely the people's needs,' Mr Tsang said at the Hong Kong News Awards presentation ceremony. 'In-depth reporting by newspapers and sharp commentaries can enlighten the government when it formulates polices.'
He said he believed newspapers would not be easily overtaken by the emergence of online media. 'Information is not equal to knowledge. In fact, with an overflow of information, we require professional selection and in-depth analyses.'
The South China Morning Post received 13 awards, including five top prizes, at the awards ceremony.
Chief Asia correspondent Greg Torode won the best scoop award with his exclusive reports on the secret stay in Macau of Kim Jong-nam, the eldest son of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.
Senior business writer Neil Gough's report on Macau Chief Executive Edmund Ho Hau-wah's stake in a Macau casino was first runner-up in the best scoop category.
