Press freedom in Hong Kong has reached a historic low, according to the latest annual survey by the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) and the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute (HKPORI). The Press Freedom Index, which ranges from zero to 100, fell to 25 this year, a decrease of 0.7 points from the previous year and a significant 17-point drop since the survey’s inception in 2013.
The survey, which included responses from over 250 journalists and approximately 1,000 members of the public, reveals increasing concerns over press freedom, largely due to the impact of Hong Kong’s national security laws. Over 90 percent of journalists reported that the new security law, enacted in March and known as Article 23, has significantly affected press freedom. This law targets crimes such as espionage and foreign interference and follows a similar law introduced by Beijing in 2020 after pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.
The prosecution of media tycoon Jimmy Lai, founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily, under the 2020 security law was cited as a major blow to media freedom, with 94 percent of journalists pointing to his case as particularly damaging. Additionally, there are concerns about the disappearance of South China Morning Post reporter Minnie Chan in Beijing, who has been out of contact since attending a security forum there last year.
While the public’s perception of press freedom remained relatively stable at 42.2, journalists have reported more acute awareness of the challenges they face, possibly due to less public discussion of Article 23 compared to the 2020 security law.
In response, China’s foreign ministry defended the security laws, asserting that they are aimed at individuals who threaten national security, not journalists. They claimed that press freedom in Hong Kong has been better protected under these laws.
The survey was released shortly after HKJA’s newly elected chairperson, Selina Cheng, was dismissed by the Wall Street Journal. While Dow Jones, the parent company of the newspaper, did not comment on Cheng’s case, it reaffirmed its commitment to advocating for press freedom.
