Chief Executive John Lee spoke highly of Louis Cha, kung fu novel guru and a founder of the Chinese-language Ming Pao at a ceremony marking the 65th anniversary of the newspaper on May 24.

Citing a famous saying of prominent journalist C.P. Scott “Comment is free, but facts are sacred” that Cha had often quoted, Lee said Hong Kong is a free, open international city with a vibrant media, pluralistic and inclusive opinions.

To maintain the vibrancy of media and opinion, Lee said professional media outlets should be “fair, good and kind.”

The ceremony was held amid lingering strain in the relations between the Lee administration and Ming Pao caused by some of their political coverage and the columns of political cartoonist Zunzi since the implementation of the national security law. Zunzi’s columns were axed in May 2023 following a string of complaints by various government policy bureaus.

If Lee’s presence at the ceremony had been seen as a sign of the warming of ties, it did not take long for it to be proven wrong.

The disclaimer

Speaking at a reception hosted by newsweekly Yazhou Zhoukan, which is owned by Ming Pao’s parent company, on August 9, Secretary for Security Chris Tang fired a salvo at Ming Pao although he did not name names.

The fact Tang had lashed at Ming Pao at a ceremony the media group hosted is no doubt a calculated move to send a clear and strong warning to the newspaper of their concerns about their certain columns.

He said certain overseas columnists in the newspaper had “deliberately misinterpreted government policies or official speeches and misled readers.”

“If [the media] condones such writers and their biased essays, it will have corrupted society and created divisions.

“Simply placing a remark beneath the column saying it did not intend to incite hatred of the government does not waive an editors’ responsibility to ensure the publication is fair, objective, and unbiased,” Tang added.

Ming Pao was among several media outlets to place a disclaimer in its op-ed section after two outlets, Apple Daily and Stand News, were raided and prosecuted in 2021 over alleged sedition.

Placed shortly after Stand News closed down early 2022, it reads: “If a commentary published by this newspaper raises criticism, it is meant to point out mistakes or flaws in the system, policy, or measure.”

“The purpose is to facilitate the correction or elimination of such mistakes or flaws … there is absolutely no intention to incite hatred, disaffection or enmity against the government or other communities,” the Chinese disclaimer continues.

The wordings were identical to the provisions on seditious publication under the Crimes Ordinance concerning grounds for defence against the charges.

The disclaimer is being seen by the media professionals as a gesture. Whether it helps editors to defend themselves in a seditious publication case is yet to be proven in courts.

The imminent dangers

Whether Tang’s blunt reminder to Ming Pao editors for their legal liabilities is also a gesture is anybody’s guess. Only time will tell. But it has sent shivers down the spine of their editorial management.

In a letter to columnists on Thursday, the chief editor of Ming Pao Lau Chun-yeung wrote: “(We) sincerely plead for your help to be more prudent when commenting on current affairs from now on.

“Comments must be based on accurate facts. They should be law-abiding and measured. Otherwise it is difficult to say whether crises may come one day.”

The letter was posted on social media by one of their columnists, which is perhaps what Lau had anticipated, hoping that it gives their readers and the public a clear picture of the imminent dangers they are facing.

In the letter, Lau has stressed that Ming Pao firmly believes in the importance of factual reporting and free views, echoing what John Lee has said at the anniversary ceremony.

The gap of understanding between the Government and Ming Pao and perhaps many journalists over news and views, however, is widening. Pressure on journalists for them to censor their coverage to avoid crises that Lau has warned of is growing.

When comments are no longer free and facts published by media outlets are no longer fully trusted, the power of the media will be in real crisis.

▌[At Large] About the Author

Chris Yeung is a veteran journalist, a founder and chief writer of the now-disbanded CitizenNews; he now runs a daily news commentary channel on Youtube. He had formerly worked with the South China Morning Post and the Hong Kong Economic Journal.