XN000022-1989-01-11 — Page 5

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 1989

FRUITFUL

OF

OF

OF

HE SAID THAT, IN EXPLORING THIS QUESTION, IT WOULD BE TO CONSIDER, AMONG OTHER THINGS, WHETHER THE CONSCIENCE AND ETHICS THE PUBLICATION MEDIA PRACTITIONERS WAS ENOUGH SAFEGUARD AGAINST

NEED FOR SOME FORM FALSE

NEWS AND WHETHER SELF-REGULATORY DETERRENT.

THERE

WAS

ANY

QUESTIONS

FOR THE MEDIA, MR CHEONG MAINTAINED THAT SOME OF THE HE POSED IN THE DEBATE TWO YEARS AGO WERE JUST AS LEGITIMATE TODAY.

THESE CONCERNED

THE

INHERENT

AND

FOR

BETTER-TRAINED THE MEDIA IN THE PUBLIC TO OF THE BEHAVIOUR

WEAKNESSES OF THE PUBLISHING THE BENEFIT OF HAVING INDUSTRY,

BETTER-PAID REPORTERS, THE NEED FOR AN IN-TRADE WATCHDOG BODY

CHANNELS SUFFICIENT HONG KONG AND THE NEED FOR REFLECT MORE DIRECTLY THEIR VIEWS AND EXPECTATIONS OF LOCAL MASS MEDIA.

FOR

ALREADY EXISTED VARIOUS MR CHEONG ALSO SAID THAT WHILE THERE

SENIOR JOURNALISTS AND FORUM WHERE PUBLISHERS,

REPORTERS DISCUSSED ISSUES OF THEIR RESPECTIVE INTERESTS, CONSIDERATION MIGHT BE GIVEN TO

REVIEW OF CROSS-SECTOR FORUM TO TAKE EXPANDING ABOVE-MENTIONED QUESTIONS OR TO MORE EFFECTIVELY IRON OUT

THESE

OF OPINIONS.

A

THE

DIFFERENCES

CHANGES HE SAID THAT HONG KONG WAS NOW AT A STAGE OF

THE FREE FLOW TO FACILITATE

OF NEEDED A BALANCED MEDIA

THE EXCHANGE OF IDEAS, INFORMATION AND SERVE AS FORUM FOR CARRY THE RESPONSIBILITY AS THE GUARDIAN OF THE TRUTH.

WHEN UNBIASED AND TO

IT

"IT IS MY HOPE THAT THE REPEAL OF SECTION 27 WOULD NOT BE SEEN, PART ON THE PART OF THE MEDIA, AS A VICTORY TO BE SAVOURED, OR ON THE

HE SAID. OF ADMINISTRATION, AS A SAGA TO BE FORGOTTEN,

WISE DECISION TO REPEAL SECTION 27

* *

REPEAL SECTION 27 OF THE

THE

THE DECISION BY THE GOVERNMENT TO PUBLIC ORDER ORDINANCE IS A WISE ONE, THE HON JAMES MCGREGOR TOLD LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

1988,

SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THE PUBLIC ORDER (AMENDMENT) BILL MR MCGREGOR SAID HE BELIEVED THAT THE PUBLIC OUTCRY OVER THE INCLUSION POSSIBLE OF SECTION 27 IN THE ORDINANCE DEMONSTRATED IN THE CLEAREST WAY THAT DEMOCRACY WAS "ALIVE AND KICKING" IN HONG

KONG.

/HE SAID .....