I refer to your editorial on the need for Hong Kong to preserve its core values such as the freedom of the press (“ Reassurance on press freedom needed after Apple Daily closure ”, June 25). Most of us remain resolute in our trust in Hong Kong’s rule of law, and that includes all the participants in it, including the Department of Justice. We assume that if an individual is being prosecuted, it means there is substantive cause to lay charges against them. However, when the matters concerned involve freedom of the press, an additional effort should be made to allay any unfounded suspicion. We need more than the usual statements from top officials, especially at a time when trust in the government is not high. It is hard to change the minds of those who have already made a pre-judgment, but one could still appeal to those with an open mind by laying out the facts. Therefore, and to the extent possible, a certain level of transparency should be applied to the prosecution and trial of any Apple Daily staff (including the arrested executives and journalists ). Apple Daily editorial writer arrested at airport while trying to leave Hong Kong Affirming the freedom of the press in Hong Kong is not just worth it from a basic right point of view, but also that the whole region and China stand to gain from it. One example is the South China Morning Post , which is read not just in Hong Kong but around the world, and which provides an impartial coverage of the events and features a range of opinions. An impartial media in Hong Kong requires press freedom to survive. Such a media can provide a counterbalance to the narratives in other parts of the world, produced by media that do not have that level of objectivity and often have a hidden agenda. These media compete to give distorted accounts of the situation. Freedom of the press also allows those in power to feel the pulse of the population. Journalists do a phenomenal job of going on the ground and hearing out the people, their stories and concerns. These accounts are useful to elected officials who are accountable to their electorate – and especially now given the political reform. If there is one thing no one benefits from, it is having a tone-deaf leadership – more so when it is that way not so much out of stubbornness, but rather a lack of information. Jose Alvares, Macau