XN000022-1988-03-30 — Page 2

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WHICH LAWS THAT WERE OUT OF DATE AND THE LAWS CONTROLLING THE PRESS HAD SCARCELY EVER BEEN USED.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