Stay away from ‘destructive forces’ in industry, John Lee warns Hong Kong journalists at media awards ceremony
- Chief executive also urges more coverage of integration plans with mainland China
- He was speaking at the Hong Kong News Awards, with the Post winning nine prizes across eight of 17 categories
Hong Kong’s leader has urged journalists to uphold professionalism so as to win public trust while keeping a distance from “destructive forces” in the industry that endanger national security.
In a speech at the Hong Kong News Awards on Friday, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu praised the professionalism of the journalists who won at the event, while hitting out at black sheep in the industry, without naming any organisation.
“In the past years, some people used journalism as a tool for achieving their own goals or political gains, or used journalistic work as a pretext to endanger national security,” Lee said. “The government certainly has the responsibility, in accordance with the law, to combat the destructive forces that polluted journalistic work.
“These people were engaging in illegal activities in the disguise of news reporting. Genuine journalists should keep a distance from those who commit illegal acts,” he added.
The city leader assured the audience that press freedom had been guaranteed by the Basic Law, the city’s mini-constitution, and urged the media industry to tell Hong Kong’s stories well.