Covering China
Reporters still face difficulties

By Dawn Chan
     Even after the handover, Hong Kong journalists still face difficulties when reporting in mainland China.
     It was reported in the November issue of the Front Line magazine, published by the Hong Kong Photojournalists Association, that two Hong Kong journalists were arrested in September when covering the 15th Party Congress in Beijing.
     There are "restricted zones" that China-desk reporters must
     watch out for.
     Sources said one of the journalists is Ha Tai-ning, an associate editor of Ming Pao Daily. The other reportedly is Li Bing-hua, deputy chief of the Beijing bureau of Ta Kung Pao. They were said to have been arrested for “leaking confidential and sensitive information.”
     Mr. Ha reportedly was held for two days while Mr. Li had not yet been released when Varsity went to print.
     The report also said that some mainland Chinese journalists were arrested, too. However, the arrests are still unconfirmed. Neither Ming Pao Daily nor Ta Kung Pao will confirm the reports.
     News of the arrests received scanty coverage in Hong Kong, leading to the suggestion that self-censorship is being exercised here.
     Ms Emily Lau Wai-hing, a former journalist and a member of the Frontier, an alliance of pro-democracy politicians, subscribes to the self-censorship theory.
     Said she: “It seems that it is the policy of the SAR government to de-politicise Hong Kong. The government only wants Hong Kong to make money, but not to talk about politics.
     “Ironically, the local media follow the government’s will. Reports on the conditions of democracy and human rights in China and local politics are shunned.”
     According to Ms Lau, the Frontier sent various newspapers a press release criticising the 15th Party Congress. However, none of them published it.
     Ms Lau said that the media and the government have worked together to create “an illusion of peace”.
     “The public believe in what the newspapers publish. The media are the main channels for the public to get accurate information,” said she.
     She thinks the function of mass media is thus destroyed.
     Mr. Willy Lam Wo-lap, the China-desk associate editor of the South China Morning Post and a world-renowned Sinologist, said self-censorship has existed for 4 or 5 years.
     “Journalists do receive political pressure. Some quit because of it,” he said. “It is increasingly difficult to hire political journalists.
     “The SAR government’s attitude is to make light of politics. The whole atmosphere in this society affects the media,” said Mr. Lam. “Newspapers have now cut back on reporting on sensitive topics, while non-political events, such as human interest stories and economic issues, are focused on.”
     Difficulties in gathering news in mainland China also contribute to the problem. According to Mr. Lam, these arise because of the conservativeness and caution of the Chinese government.
     “The Beijing authorities do not like local journalists to ‘search’ for news. Press releases are the only thing that the mainland newspapers can report and publish,” he said.
     Although the authorities now encourage coverage of big events such as the Party Congress, Mr. Lam said it is still very strict about politically sensitive topics.
     He pointed out that journalists avoid stepping into the “restricted zone” when reporting in China. “The No.1 rule of our journalists is to be law-abiding. We confirm the information with various sources. Experts’ opinions will also be solicited,” he said.
     Dr. Yu Xu of the Department of Journalism at Baptist University suggested that local journalists should learn Chinese law to avoid getting into trouble.
     “Under the ‘one country-two systems’ principle, Hong Kong has its own set of laws. What is lawful here may be illegal in mainland China,” he explained.
     Dr. Yu said self-censorship is caused not only by political pressure, but also by economic considerations.
     “Newspaper owners are in the business of making money.
     “Some of them are developing businesses in China. They may be afraid of losing business when reporting something that offends the Chinese authorities,” said Dr. Yu.
     However, the chief editorial writer of Apple Daily, Mr. Fung Wai Kwong, said the self-censorship problem is not as serious as the public thinks it is.
     “I believe that local newspapers are not the mouthpiece of the authorities,” he said.
     He emphasised that local newspapers also publish news about demonstrations and criticism against the authorities, including the Chinese government.
     “The most important thing for the local journalists is to insist on the code of practice,” he said. “I always bear in mind that journalists are responsible for reporting only the truth and protecting the public’s interests.”
     Mr. Fung suggested that the Chinese government should review its attitudes toward the press.
     “No one would like to see another local journalist being arrested for leaking the so-called sensitive information,” said he.


 Sensitive films       The struggles



January 1998

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