Hong Kong citizens are guaranteed freedom of the press under the Basic Law; however, journalists are finding that in practice, it is very difficult to access information. A survey conducted by the HKJA in May 2020 found that Hong Kong press freedom had dropped to a record low in the eyes of the general public and newsroom practitioners (HKJA, 2020c). The HKJA offered three reasons for the plunge. First, Hong Kong does not have laws ensuring reporters’ access to information, such as a freedom of information law or an archive law. Second, newsroom workers found it laborious to access information for their news reports. For example, the High Court granted an interim injunction to stop the publishing of the personal data of police officers (Hong Kong Police Force, 2019). Third, journalists have experienced verbal assault or physical violence when they report stories.
There are many examples of journalists being denied information in Hong Kong. For instance, when an Indonesian journalist was shot and her right eye injured, an Indonesian journalist wanted to know who had shot her and the police would not give her any information. Other reporters have been arrested for reporting on anti-government protests, and one group of reporters was asked to kneel and stop filming the protests. Moreover, neither journalists nor first-aid providers were allowed access to the Prince Edward Mass Transit Railway station after the attack on 31 August 2019.
In addition to discussing the intimidation of reporters covering the protests, most interviewees expressed concern over difficulties in accessing government information on a daily basis. For example, the government has refused to disclose the names and titles of police officers. Some government officials have refused to provide any substantive information to the general public, and searching for public information, such as marital status, birth information, and voter information, is becoming more difficult.
