Police must respect the role of journalists
- With reporters covering the civil unrest among those injured by officers, one should not forget the importance of objective journalism to a deeply divided society
Reporters are not supposed to become part of the story, especially a divisive one. If they are drawn into it their credibility could be on the line. A case in point is to be found in confrontations with police, the latest during Sunday’s violent unrest. They were very damaging to already fragile relations. Sadly, in a deeply divided society, they do nothing for public trust and confidence on either side.
Journalists’ representatives presented a united front in hitting out at the number injured as they covered demonstrations. In an unprecedented protest of their own, reporters delayed a regular police press briefing for 30 minutes and a freelance journalist read a statement accusing officers of having ripped reporters’ masks off and pepper-sprayed them in acts “that interfered with press freedom”.
The recently introduced ban on wearing face masks and more aggressive police tactics to combat protest violence appear to have combined to exacerbate tension between police and media. Journalists are not exempt from arrest and prosecution under the law against wearing masks, but it is ultimately a defence that they are legitimately going about their job. It is arguable therefore that it is in the spirit of the law that bona fide professional journalists should not be arbitrarily arrested or obstructed in these circumstances. The question is complicated by the presence of journalism students on work experience, and the difficulty for police in telling genuine members of the press from impostors.
“No exemption” may reflect the idea that “no one is above the law”, but applied across the board it can be unhelpful to the legitimate role of journalists. Indeed, it potentially affords a measure of protection for abuse of power. The undersecretary for security, Sonny Au Chi-kwong, has affirmed that officers have the right to stop and search anyone. But he also conceded there was room for improvement in the relationship between frontline officers and journalists. This is paramount to society’s best interests. The importance of professional objective journalism is easily overlooked in a partisan atmosphere that divides families and friends. Its practitioners are society’s eyes and ears in holding power to account. Respect in practice for press freedom enshrined in the Basic Law is fundamental to it. The principle is ultimately a safeguard of everyone’s rights.
