The SPJ International Community is closely monitoring the press freedom situation in Hong Kong.
The Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents Club announced Monday, April 25 it was suspending the 2022 Human Rights Press Awards. In a statement to the members, FCC President Keith Richburg said the FCC Board of Governors decided to take the action because “journalists in Hong Kong have been operating under new ‘red lines’ on what is and is not permissible, [and] there remain significant areas of uncertainty and we do not wish unintentionally to violate the law.”
The decision came just a week before the winners of the prestigious awards were to be announced on Press Freedom Day, May 3. Among the finalists were Stand News and Apple Daily. Ming Pao, a Chinese-language newspaper in Hong Kong printed the list of winners April 27.
The International Community reached out to Francis Moriarty, one of the founders of the awards 26 years ago and retired RTHK senior political reporter. His interview can be seen at the Community’s YouTube Channel. And below:
To keep up to date with press freedom issues around the world, stop by the SPJ International Community website to subscribe to its weekly newsletter.