Today (3rd) is World Press Freedom Day, and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) announces 2022World Press Freedom Index, Hong Kong’s ranking dropped sharply, from 80 last year to 148 this year, with an index of 41.64. As for China, which ranks 175th, the 6th from the bottom, slightly higher than last year’s 177th (4th from the bottom), the index is 25.17. RSF pointed out that Apple Daily and Stand News were “forcibly shut down” last year, and many small media outlets closed their business due to legal risks. They also criticized the “Hong Kong National Security Law” for being vague, and journalists covering Hong Kong issues no matter where they are. are always to blame.
The RSF’s World Press Freedom Index is divided into 5 levels, with a score of 85 to 100 indicating that the state of press freedom is “good”, 70 to 85 is “satisfactory”, and 55 to 70 is “problematic” ” (problematic), 40 to 55 as “difficult”, 0 to 40 as “very serious”.
RSF mentioned that Hong Kong has dropped 68 places this year, the steepest drop this year. As for neighboring countries, the Philippines (147) and Turkey (149) are ranked.Pages describing Hong Kong in RSF, mentioned that since the return to the present, most of the media have fallen into the control of the government or pro-China groups, and also named the “Apple Daily” and “Stand News” were forcibly shut down (forcefully shut down), the two incidents caused 860 people to lose their jobs, As for some small media, they also suspend their business due to legal risks. The RSF also mentioned that RTHK, once known for publishing fearless investigative reports, has now been shrouded in a pro-government form of control that censors programs that are not in the government’s favor.
The RSF also mentioned that Hong Kong was still very safe for journalists until 2014, when Umbrella Movement reporters began to be targeted by police and pro-Beijing figures. The organization described journalists as victims of police violence in 2019, and a number of journalists were detained by police on national security charges last year. The organization pointed out that the Basic Law stipulates that Hong Kong enjoys freedom of speech, the press and the press, but the “Hong Kong National Security Law” promulgated by Beijing in 2020 aims to combat “terrorism”, “separatism”, “subversion”, “interaction with foreign countries”. Suppressing independent voices in the name of “collaboration” and criticizing the vague wording of the legislation, it can be applied to any journalist covering Hong Kong, regardless of where he is located.
In recent years, Hong Kong’s ranking has fallen one following another, ranking 58 in 2013, 73 in 2019, and 80 in 2020 and 2021.
In this year’s index ranking, the top three are Norway, Denmark and Sweden, of which Norway and Sweden have won the first and third places for two consecutive years, and Denmark has risen from fourth last year to second this year. As for Taiwan, it ranked 38th, up from 43rd last year. The organization describes Taiwan as a land of freedom and democracy, and respects the principle of press freedom at an overall level, but journalists in Taiwan are still victims of a media environment with polarized stances, sensationalism and profit-seeking.