XN000022-1992-10-23 — Page 4

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1992

PRESS.

THIS

AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR WAY OF LIFE IS FREEDOM OF THE THAT, I THINK, IS ONE OF THE JEWELS IN OUR CROWN.

IT'S SOMETHING THAT SETS HONG KONG APART FROM MANY OTHER COMMUNITIES IN ASIA. IT'S SOMETHING THAT SETS HONG KONG APART FROM MANY OTHER COMMUNITIES IN EUROPE AND THE REST OF THE WORLD. WE HAVE 70 DAILY NEWSPAPERS, WE

HAVE 600 MAGAZINES, THREE TV-STATIONS, THREE RADIO- STATIONS. WE HAVE A PRESS, A MEDIA, WHICH IS DIVERSE, WHICH IS VIGOROUS, AND WHICH IS FREE. FREE TO REPORT, FREE TO COMMENT, FREE TO CRITICISE, FREE, FOR EXAMPLE, TO CRITICISE THE GOVERNOR. WEEK, ONE OF THE I DON'T THINK THIS IS AN OUTLANDISH TRIBUTE WEEK ONE OF THE PRO-PEKING NEWSPAPERS IN HONG KONG PUBLISHED, DOUBTLESS BY PUBLIC DEMAND, A SPECIAL PULL-OUT SUPPLEMENT REPRINTING ALL ITS MOST VIGOROUS ATTACKS ON THE GOVERNOR'S DEMOCRATIC SYMPATHIES. WHAT IS MY REACTION TO THAT? I'LL TELL YOU MY REACTION

ΤΟ THAT: THREE CHEERS FOR A FREE PRESS! I'M SURE - OR I HOPE I'M SURE THAT THE NEWSPAPER IN QUESTION WOULD BE THERE FIGHTING IN THE LAST DITCH FOR THE RIGHT OF OTHERS TO EXPRESS WHATEVER VIEWS THEY LIKE IN DUR COURSE, FOR EXAMPLE, AFTER 1997.

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TOM

ONE REASON FOR TAKING THAT VIEW IS THAT A FREE PRESS MAKES GOVERNMENT BETTER AND THEREFORE, IN A SENSE, STRONGER. HELPS TO ENSURE THAT GOVERNMENT RETAINS ITS MORAL AUTHORITY, STOPPARD, WHO HAS ARGUED SO ELOQUENTLY FOR THE FREEDOM OF THE PRESS IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE, PARTICULARLY IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA, PUT THE POINT VERY WELL: NO MATTER HOW IMPERFECT THINGS ARE, IF YOU HAVE A FREE PRESS, EVERYTHING IS CORRECTABLE, AND WITHOUT IT, EVERYTHING IS AND A FREE PRESS MAKES A COMMUNITY STRONGER AND HEALTHIER. WHAT IT GIVES US IS DIVERSITY IN UNITY. PRECISELY, BECAUSE WE CAN EXPRESS EVERY POINT OF VIEW, WE ARE MORE STABLE, MORE UNITED, MORE SECURE. I REGARD A FREE PRESS AS A SIGN OF STRENGTH, NOT A SIGN OF WEAKNESS.

CONCEALABLE.

OF

COURSE IT'S DESIRABLE THAT FREEDOMS ARE EXERCISED WITH RESTRAINT. I'M A PECULIAR ENGLISH BEAST, AN OLD FASHIONED ENGLISH TORY WHOSE FAVOURITE POLITICAL WRITER WAS EDMUND BURKE, WHO MADE THAT POINT ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF EXERCISING FREEDOMS WITH PERSONAL RESTRAINT. THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE, IF YOU LIKE, BETWEEN LIBERTY AND LICENCE, SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW AND I KNOW, THAT JOURNALISTS IN NEWSPAPERS, IN TELEVISION STATIONS, IN RADIO STATIONS, GO TOO FAR; GO TOO FAR IN INVADING PEOPLE'S PRIVACY, GO TOO FAR IN SENSATIONALISING EVENTS. BUT IN MY JUDGMENT, IT'S NOT THE JOB OF POLITICAL LEADERS TO TRY TO STOP THEM, AND I WANT TO UNDERLINE THAT.

THINK ALL THAT IS PART OF THE PRICE WE PAY FOR A FREE PRESS AND A FREE SOCIETY. BUT A FREE PRESS, ITSELF, SHOULD ARGUE THE CASE FOR RAISING STANDARDS, NOT DESCENDING INTO THE GUTTER. I THINK, AND I WANT TO MAKE THE POINT VERY STRONGLY, THAT THAT IS A JOB FOR THE JOURNALIST'S PROFESSION, NOT A JOB FOR POLITICIANS.

I

/FORTUNATELY, THAT