Hong Kong Leader: Flagged Fake News Laws As Worries Over Media Freedom Growth

Background Facts

RTHK reported that the broadcaster will not renew the contract of its journalist Nabela Qoser who is known for her tough questioning of Lam and other officials at the time of mass 2019 anti-government protests.

The RTHK has started removing some of its records from its Youtube and other social media channels that prompt online activists to backup certain content on blockchain platforms.

Another RTHK journalist, Bao Choy, was also founded guilty by a court last month of inappropriately retrieving public records for a documentary related to police handling mob attacks on pro-democracy protesters, reporters, and bystanders in 2019. Her documentary won a local press award the day before the verdict. However, this wasn’t accepted by RTHK.

In the year July 2019 attack in northern Yuen Long district happened where more than 100 men in white T-shirts were smashed people with sticks and poles at a train station which sparked widespread criticism of the police including allegations of collusion with triad gangsters and the same was denied by police. 

The Courts have yet convicted any of the attackers. The reporters without borders have been ranked in Hong Kong 80th out of 180 in terms of press freedom, in freefall over the past decade.

Lastly, the main issue of concern before the Hong Kong leader is published of fake news that leads to spreading erroneous and fabricated information, hatred, and lies on any social platform and thereby damaging the lives of many people.

What Hong Kong Leader Has To Say About It

The present Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam came up with a view that the government which is working on fake news must be tackled by legislation along with hatred, misinformation, and lies that grow over media freedoms in the global financial hub.

Beijing directed that Hong Kong took a swift authoritative turn and following which there is an imposition of sweeping national security law in the year 2020 with a fresh drive to bring patriotism that spills into most aspects of life.

There is a major overtake of public broadcaster RTHK which is led by a newly appointed bureaucrat with almost no media experience and this is widely seen as a signal that government red lines will soon encircle journalism like other sectors, such as education.

It is further said by Carrie Lam in a weekly news conference that the government researched for fake news but added that it has no timetable for such legislation.

It also added that fake news needs a lot of research and especially how overseas governments tackle this increasing trend of spreading erroneous and fabricated information, hatred, and lies on any social platform.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam in a ceremony marking the National Security Education Day on April 15, 2021, stated that they will continue to be very critical issues as this led to damaging the lives of many people.

This comment came a day after RTHK reported that the broadcaster will not renew the contract of its journalist Nabela Qoser who is known for her tough questioning of Lam and other officials at the time of mass 2019 anti-government protests.

What is your take on such the false, erroneous, and misleading news spread by the news reporter, and what impact has it on the society at large? Tell us in the comments below.