WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 1988
PRESS FREEDOM KEY ELEMENT OF HK SOCIETY: GOVERNOR
HONG KONG'S SOCIETY, BOTH PRESS FREEDOM IS A KEY Element oF FOR ITS PEOPLE AND IN TERMS OF INTERNATIONAL CONFIDENCE, THE GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID WILSON, SAID THIS (WEDNESDAY) EVENING.
OF THE HONG KONG HAD A LIVELY AND AND 549 NEWSPAPERS
DINNER 20TH ANNIVERSARY SPEAKING AT THE JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION, SIR DAVID SAID HONG KONG
PRESS
NO WITH ACTIVE LOCAL
FEWER THAN 68 PERIODICALS BEING REGISTERED IN THE TERRITORY.
"MANY INTERNATIONAL AGENCIES USE HONG KONG AS A SOUTHEAST ASIAN REGION.
BASE FOR THE
STRATEGIC LOCATION
OF
"THIS IS A TRIBUTE NOT ONLY TO HONG KONG'S AND EXCELLENT COMMUNICATIONS, BUT ALSO TO THE RECEPTIVE ATMOSPHERE OUR SOCIETY, HE SAID.
**
"THIS IS A PLACK WHERE PEOPLE CAN
―
AND DO
+
SPEAK THEIR
MINDS
FREELY.
"IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THIS SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE THE CASE."
TO LIBERALISE SIR DAVID NOTED THAT STEPS WERE TAKEN LAST YEAR
WHICH LAWS THAT WERE OUT OF DATE AND THE LAWS CONTROLLING THE PRESS HAD SCARCELY EVER BEEN USED.
-
A CERTAIN AMOUNT "WE RETAINED ONE PROVISION WHICH HAS CAUSED
THE OF CONTROVERSY, WE HAVE COMMITTED OURSELVES TO REVIEWING THIS AT
THAT THE GOVERNMENT RECOGNISED END OF THIS YEAR," HE SAID. STATING
THAT THE ISSUE OF PRESS FREEDOM WAS VITALLY IMPORTANT.
REFERRING TO THE ROLE OF
JOURNALISTS IN SOCIETY, SIR DAVID 20 YEARS SAID THE MEDIA HAD PLAYED AN IMPORTANT PART DURING THE LAST
RECORDING EVENTS FOR WHICH HAD BEEN MOMENTOUS ONES FOR HONG KONG POSTERITY, FLIGALIGIITING SUCCESSES
AND FAILURES, REFLECTING SOCIETY
AND YET AT THE SAME TIME HELPING TO SHAPE IT.
ATTENTION SHOULD
THE
HOWEVER, HE SUGGESTED THAT IN HONG KONG MORE BE PAID TO OTHER ASPECTS OF THE JOURNALIST'S TRADE IN ADDITION TO EXCITEMENT OF TRYING TO GET A SCOOP.
"OF COURSE, GETTING AN EXCLUSIVE STORY ON TO THE FRONT PAGE
NEWS 18 IMPORTANT, THAT IS WHAT SELLS NEWSPAPERS. AND IMMEDIATE ESSENTIAL ELEMENT OF THE JOURNALIST'S TASK.
19
THE
BUT, SIR DAVID SAID, THERE COULD BE MORE TO IT THAN THAT.
WILL TAKE PLACE OVER 1997. ALL. THIS NEEDS TO
THE
BE
"VERY MANY IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS NEXT FEW YEARS, BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER REPORTED, HE CONTINUED.
T
"BUT IT