【禁聞】港記協:新聞自由 危城告急

2014年07月09日香港七一遊行
【新唐人2014年07月09日訊】日前,「香港記者協會」發佈《2014年言論自由年報》,《年報》指出,香港新聞自由陷入數十年來最黑暗的一年,「新聞自由,危城告急」。另外,「記協」還成立了「自我審查監督委員會」,接受業界投訴。要讓公眾知道香港的新聞自由受到多大威脅。

「香港記協」主席岑倚蘭在7月6號發佈的《2014年言論自由年報》記者會上,以「危城告急」為題發言,她指出,從去年​​年中至今,香港傳媒飽受打壓。

香港記協主席岑倚蘭:「我們已經覺得,香港新聞自由已經陷入數十年來最黑暗的一年。」

岑倚蘭表示,香港每天有超過300萬份報紙發行,但以前多元化的聲音現在變得單一,特別是今年,中共在各個方面對傳媒進行干擾和打壓。

岑倚蘭:「很多報紙對於一些敏感的問題就不登了,在每一個重要的事件期間,香港新聞界就會首當其衝受到影響,影響媒體的導向、影響言論,它(中共)要爭取輿論的空間。我們看見香港的新聞自由有退吧。」

「國際記者聯合會」香港和中國區代表胡麗雲表示,今年前半年,香港傳媒界的真實情況非常糟糕。

國際記者聯合會香港和中國區代表胡麗雲:「不但有一些媒體人(被)取消他們的工作機會,也有一些廣告商,因為政治的緣故,停止在一些敢言的媒體裡面登廣告,更重要的就是有一個老總給人攻擊,在今年出現的那麼密、那麼多、那麼明顯的事情,我們覺得非常給人有一個憂慮的狀態。」

總部位於法國巴黎的「無國界記者」組織,今年2月12號公布的「2014年全球新聞自由度報告」顯示,香港的新聞自由度排名持續下跌,已由2002年的18名暴跌到61名。

今年2月,香港《明報》前總編輯劉進圖被暴力襲擊之後,還發生《香港商業電臺》主持人李慧玲突然被解僱,另有身處高位的新聞工作者被撤換、香港《蘋果日報》和《am730》報紙被抽走廣告,以及港府拒絕發放免費電視牌照給香港電視網絡等事件。

香港資深媒體人潘小濤對《自由亞洲電臺》說:「劉進圖被撤換的時候,我們說已經夠糟糕了﹔李慧玲被換走(開除)的時候,我們說應該是最黑暗的時候了﹔劉進圖被砍,我們說連暴力都出來了!到這幾天,《明報》他們的編務董事可以插手改頭版頭條(標題)。這是史無前例的,把整個制度給破壞了。」

日前,《明報》編務董事呂家明,在沒有通知主編及其他編輯部負責人的情況下,擅自叫停已在印製的報紙,並將原有報導香港「七一遊行」的標題﹕「爭取普選」刪除,並改為「警察清場」,引發業界譴責。

「國際新聞工作者聯合會」(IFJ)4號發表聲明,譴責香港《明報》高管人員刪改「七一大遊行」報導內容,是違背新聞自由準則。

「香港記協」前任主席麥燕庭向媒體表示,呂家明刪改報導顯然是新聞審查。

「香港記協」表示,有鑒於新聞界自我審查日漸嚴重,「香港記協」成立「自我審查監督委員會」。

岑倚蘭:「我們主要成立的目地是,用客觀中立的態度,來觀察香港媒體裡面自我審查的情況,提高公眾對香港媒體自我審查情況的關注,提高警覺。」

岑倚蘭表示,今年「香港記者協會」做了一個有關香港新聞自由指數的一個調查,發現自我審查在香港情況嚴重。

岑倚蘭:「中國是一個跟香港的制度很不一樣,中國是共產黨參與的、主政的,它們的意識形態跟香港生活制度方面很不一樣,觀念上也不一樣,新聞主要是宣傳的很重要的目地。」

岑倚蘭說,新聞自由在香港很重要,如果沒有新聞自由,香港就沒有真相,香港人的知情權也就更沒有了。

採訪編輯/易如 後製/李勇


Hong Kong Journalists Association Calls 2014
the Darkest Year for Press Freedom

The recently released 2014 Press Freedom Annual Report
by Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) indicated
that 2014 has been the darkest for press freedom
in Hong Kong for several decades.

“Hong Kong’s press freedom is under siege,” it read.

In addition, HKJA announced the establishment
of the Self-censorship Monitoring Committee to accept
complaints from media outlets so as to let the public know
how much threat Hong Kong's press freedom is under.

In the 2014 Press Freedom Annual Report press conference
on July 6, HKJA chairperson Sham Yee Lan gave a speech
entitled, “Press Freedom Under Siege.”

She pointed out that Hong Kong media has been
under intense pressure since mid 2013.

Sham Yee Lan: “We reckon that Hong Kong's press freedom
had its darkest year in several decades.”

Sham Yee Lan said that over 3 million copies of newspapers
are published in Hong Kong per day.

But the diversity in the past has become monotonous,
in particular this year.
China has suppressed and interfered with Hong’s media
in various aspects.

Sham Yee Lan: “Many newspapers do not carry the news
regarding some sensitive issues.

During the period when an important incident occurs,
Hong Kong media will bear the brunt of the impact.

It affects media’s direction and the freedom of speech.

It (China) is struggling to gain more room to control public
opinion.

We have seen a retreat in Hong Kong's press freedom.”

Hu Liyun, International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)
representative in Hong Kong and China, says that
Hong Kong’s real mass media situation in the first half
of the year was very bad.

Hu Liyun: “Not only were some journalists’ working
opportunities cancelled, but some advertisers stopped placing
advertisements on some outspoken media due
to political reasons.

What’s even worse is that some publishers were attacked.

As there have been so many things happening publicly
in such a short period of time this year, we think it has put
people in an anxious state.”

According to the 2014 World Press Freedom Index released
by the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders
on Feb. 12, 2014, the ranking of Hong Kong's press freedom
has continued to fall, dropping to 61st among 180 countries
and regions from 18th in 2002.

In February this year, ex-chief editor of Hong Kong’s
Ming Pao, Kevin Lau, was violently attacked.

Many news and media bodies in Hong Kong
have also met with similar misfortune.

The news anchor of Commercial Radio Hong Kong was
abruptly fired along with a few other high ranking employees.

Hong Kong’s Apple Daily and AM730
had their advertisements removed by their clients.

Last but not least, Hong Kong Television Network’s
application for the Hong Kong domestic free television
program service license was rejected
by the Hong Kong government.

Senior Hong Kong media news person Poon Siu To
told Radio Free Asia, “When Kevin Lau was dismissed,
we said it was bad enough.

When Li Huiling was dismissed,
we said it was probably the darkest hour.

But when Kevin Lau was stabbed by assailants,
we proclaimed that even violence has taken place!

These days, the director of editorial operations of Ming Pao
could freely interfere and amend in the headlines.

This is unprecedented and it destroys
our entire media system.”

Recently, the director of editorial operations of Ming Pao,
Lu Jiaming, ordered the termination of newspapers
that were already under printing without any prior notice
to the chief editor as well as other editorial coordinators.

Further, he deleted the original title of the Hong Kong
July 1 parade report.
The original title, “Striving for Universal Suffrage”
was deleted and replaced with “Police Cleanup at the Scene.”

This action was widely condemned
by the Hong Kong news industry.

The International Federation of Journalists issued
a declaration on July 4 criticizing high ranking personnel
of Ming Pao for the amendment of the report
on July 1 protests.

The IFJ declared that such an act contravenes
press freedom principles.

Ex-chairperson of the Hong Kong Journalists Association,
Mak Yin-ting, said that Lu Jiaming’s change in the news
report is clearly an act of news censorship.

Hong Kong Journalists Association expressed the concern
over the growing self-censorship in the news arena
and swiftly established the Self-censorship Monitoring Committee.

Sham Yee Lan: “Our main objective in setting up the council
is to assess the self-censorship situation
in Hong Kong media from a neutral
and objective point of view.

We wish to promote public concern and awareness
in the situation of self-censorship of Hong Kong media.”

Sham Yee Lan also indicates that the Hong Kong Journalists
Association investigated the press freedom ratings
in Hong Kong earlier this year.

The investigation revealed that the self-censorship situation
in Hong Kong was grave.

Sham Yee Lan: “China has a very different regime
from Hong Kong.

China is under the dictatorship of the Communist Party,
their thought paradigms and their lifestyles
differ from that of Hong Kong.

They also have different preconceived ideas and notions.

In China, propaganda is a very important objective
of news media.”

Sham Yee Lan emphatically stated that freedom of press
is very important to Hong Kong.

Without freedom of press, Hong Kong will have no truth.

It also means that Hong Kong people’s right to information
will be rendered illusory.

Interview & Edit/YiRu Post-Production/LiYong