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ngrid Tse Hing-yee worked for The Tearing Down of Apple Daily
three media outlets in three years. On August 10, 2020, about a month
IShe joined Apple Daily in 2021 af- after the introduction of the national
ter resigning from i-Cable in 2019 due security law, police raided Apple Dai-
to arguments about editorial issues. ly’s office on Chun Ying Street, Tseung
The 25-year-old journalist now works Kwan O Industrial Estate. They ar-
in online media Hong Kong Citizen rested Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, founder
News after Apple Daily was folded in of its parent company, Next Digital,
June this year. alleging him of violating the national
I think I am doing the right thing, security law.
and I will continue to do so… I am On June 17, 2021, hundreds of po-
determined to stay in the industry as lice officers raided the office a second
long as I can,” she vows. time and arrested five executives on
During Tse’s job interview with suspicion of “colluding with a foreign
Apple Daily in January 2021, her em- country or with external elements”,
ployer warned her that she might not violating the national security law. Apple Daily’s office at 8 Chun Ying
be able to work in the company for Assets worth HK$18 million were Street, Tseung Kwan O.
long. But she still took the job offer. frozen on the same day. The company Seven people associated with Ap-
“Apple Daily reporters could still announced its closure “in view of em- ple Daily, including journalists and
do reporting freely and did not do ployees’ safety” a week later. executives, have been charged under
news stories to please the government “The tearing down of Apple Daily, national security law, which could
at that time. There was still room to one of the major Chinese-language lead up to for penalties of up to life
practice journalism,” Tse says. media critical of the ruling regime in imprisonment so far.
Beijing, after years of harassment, is
sending a chilling message to Hong Not Giving Up
Kong journalists,” says Cédric Alviani, After Apple Daily’s closure, Tse
the East Asia bureau head of Report- felt lost about her career in journal-
ers Without Borders. ism and sad for the dwindling press
freedom in Hong Kong. “It is not just
about a few hundred employees losing
their jobs. It is about the voice of Ap-
ple Daily, which could not be found in
other news media outlets,” Tse says.
“

It is not just about

a few hundred em-

ployees losing their

jobs. It is about the

voice of Apple Daily,

which could not be

found in other news

media outlets.

”
Local news journalist Ingrid Tse Hing-yee in the studio of Hong Kong Citizen News.