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The Sad State of Press Freedom in Hong Kong after Twenty-Five Years of Chinese Rule

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The Sad State of Press Freedom in Hong Kong after Twenty-Five Years of Chinese Rule

Columbia Journalism Review,

5 min read
3 take-aways
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What's inside?

China reneged on its promise of press freedom in Hong Kong, closing media outlets and jailing reporters.

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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

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Recommendation

When Britain’s lease for Hong Kong expired in 1997, China promised that it would continue to enjoy freedoms not available in the People’s Republic at large, including robust freedom of the press. China has since cracked down, shuttering some independent news media outlets and jailing prominent editors. Learn what has happened to Hong Kong and how its formerly provocatively outspoken press has become a fading memory. Jon Alsopp’s report in the Columbia Journalism Review is a must-read for those involved in business with China and those concerned about freedom of the press and human rights.

Summary

Despite promises to the contrary, China has truncated press freedom in Hong Kong.

When it recovered Hong Kong from the United Kingdom in 1997, China promised the formerly independent city-state that it would still enjoy freedom of the press, among other freedoms, for half a century. On July 1, 1997, more than 7,000 journalists came to Hong Kong to cover its reversion to Chinese governance after more than a century of British rule. On the 25th anniversary of the transition, Chinese president Xi Jin Ping spoke of the handover as the launch of Hong Kong’s “true democracy.”

However, authorities tightly controlled media coverage of the anniversary celebration, refusing on grounds of “security” to accredit more than a dozen journalists from among hundreds of both local and international reporters seeking to cover the event. Chinese authorities...

About the Author

The Columbia Journalism Review is a journalism and press analysis publication of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Jon Alsopp is a freelance journalist.

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