WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 1987
18
IRRESPONSIBLE REPORTING SHOULD BE RESTRICTED
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THE HON HO SAI-CHU TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY) THAT HE WAS IN FAVOUR OF HAVING A PROVISION IN THE PUBLIC ORDER ORDINANCE WHICH RESTRICTED IRRESPONSIBLE REPORTING OF FALSE NEWS, ALTHOUGH THE MEDIA WAS GENERALLY AGAINST HAVING SUCH A PROVISION IN THE STATUTE BOOKS.
SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THE PUBLIC ORDER (AMENDMENT) BILL, MR HO DECLARED AN INTEREST IN THE MATTER IN VIEW OF HIS POSITION AS PUBLISHER AND CHIEF EDITOR OF TIN TIN DAILY NEWS.
+I PERSONALLY FEEL, AS A MATTER OF PRINCIPLE, THAT THE PUBLIC SHOULD BE PROTECTED FROM IRRESPONSIBLE REPORTING OF FALSE NEWS WHICH COULD UNDERMINE THE CONFIDENCE, INTERNAL STABILITY OF HONG KONG AND THE PUBLIC'S RIGHT TO KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING BOTH HERE AND ABROAD.+
HE SAID IT SHOULD NOT BE TOO DIFFICULT A TASK FOR THE MEDIA TO CHECK AND VERIFY THE TRUTHFULNESS OR OTHERWISE OF AN ITEM OF NEWS.
+ IT IS THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO DO SO AS THEY HAVE A PARAMOUNT DUTY TOWARDS THE PUBLIC RATHER THAN A DESIRE TO AROUSE PUBLIC INTEREST AND TO BOOST THE MARKETABILITY OF THEIR PUBLICATIONS WITHOUT DUE REGARD TO THE SOCIAL IMPACT OF THEIR CONDUCT, HE ADDED.
MR HO SAID THE MEDIA SHOULD NOT FEAR THE ENACTMENT OF SUCH A MEASURE AS A NEW PROVISION WOULD BE PROPOSED TO PROVIDE A DEFENCE FOR THE PERSON CHARGED AND THAT NO PROSECUTION WOULD BE COMMENCED WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.
HE NOTED THAT AT TIMES DIFFICULTIES MIGHT ARISE AS A RESULT OF THE MEDIA'S PROFESSIONAL ETHICS OF NOT DISCLOSING ITS SOURCE OF INFORMATION WITHOUT ITS PRIOR CONSENT BUT, IF THAT HAPPENED, THE INTEREST OF THE PUBLIC SHOULD BE PARAMOUNT.
MR HO CONCLUDED BY ASKING THE GOVERNMENT FOR AN ASSURANCE THAT THE NEW SECTION 27 OF THE PUBLIC ORDER ORDINANCE SHOULD NOT BE USED FOR TRIVIAL CASES AS THE SECTION CLEARLY PERMITTED THOSE CASES TO BE TRIED SUMMARILY AND AS SUCH COULD NOT BE OF ANY GREAT MOMENT.
I FULL PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON BILL URGED
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THE GOVERNMENT WAS CRITICISED TODAY (WEDNESDAY) BY THE HON HUI YIN-FAT FOR NOT HAVING WIDELY CONSULTED THE PUBLIC ON THE PUBLIC ORDER (AMENDMENT) BILL 1986.
SPEAKING DURING THE RESUMED DEBATE ON THE BILL IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR HUI SAID IT WAS APPARENT THAT THE MEDIA HAD NOT BEEN TREATED FAIRLY ON THIS OCCASION.
/+AT THE
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