Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam flags fake news laws as worries over media freedom grow Toggle share menu
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Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam. (File photo: AFP/Anthony Wallace)
04 May 2021 01:13PM (Updated:
04 May 2021 01:20PM) Share this content
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HONG KONG: Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said on Tuesday (May 4) that the government was working on fake news legislation to tackle misinformation, hatred and lies , as worries grow over media freedoms in the global financial hub.
Under Beijing s directions, Hong Kong has cracked down on dissent following the imposition of a sweeping national security law in 2020, with a fresh drive for patriotism spilling into most aspects of life in the city.
ChinaHong Kong leader flags fake news laws as worries over media freedom grow
Reuters
3 minute read
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam speaks at a ceremony marking the National Security Education Day in Hong Kong, China April 15, 2021. REUTERS/Lam Yik
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said on Tuesday the government was working on fake news legislation to tackle misinformation, hatred and lies, as worries grow over media freedoms in the global financial hub.
Under Beijing s directions, Hong Kong has taken a swift authoritarian turn following the imposition of a sweeping national security law in 2020, with a fresh drive for patriotism spilling into most aspects of life in the city.
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said on Tuesday the government was working on “fake news” legislation to tackle “misinformation, hatred and lies,” as worries grow over media freedoms in the Chinese-ruled territory.
Under Beijing’s direction, Hong Kong has taken an authoritarian turn since the imposition of a sweeping national security law in 2020, with a drive for “patriotism” spilling into most aspects of life in the city.
A major overhaul of public broadcaster RTHK, led by a newly appointed bureaucrat with no media experience, is widely seen as a signal that government red lines will soon encircle journalism as they have other sectors, such as education.
Timeline: Two Months of Turmoil at Hong Kong Public Broadcaster RTHK
Posted by John Chan | May 3, 2021
Over the weekend, the embattled Hong Kong public broadcaster Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) announced that it would begin deleting its own programming from the internet, including all content over a year old. It is a chilling move by the broadcaster, which has been embroiled in turmoil following a change of management with the appointment of civil servant Patrick Li as its Director of Broadcasting in February. On Monday, the broadcaster also formally fired Nabela Qoser, an outspoken RTHK journalist who gained widespread recognition during the 2019-2020 protests for her hard hitting questioning of public officials.