TNAG-1687-FCO40-2337-Hong-Kong-legislation-regarding-the-control-of-publications--1987 — Page 174

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BILL WOULD EXERT PRESSURE ON THE PRESS BECAUSE FACTS COULD BECOME FALSE NEWS AS A RESULT OF CHANGES OF CURMCUMSTANCES. THE PAPER DISPUTED ALLEGATION THAT THE MEDIA'S OPPOSITION TO THE BILL WAS FOR THEIR OWN INTERESTS. WHAT THE PRESS WAS FIGHTING FOR ALSO CONCERNED THE INTERESTS OF THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE BECAUSE THE PRESS, IF GIVEN MORE FREEDOM, COULD EXPOSE MORE MALPRACTICES AND CRITISE WRONG DOINGS IN SOCIETY. AS A MEMBER OF THE NEWS MEDIA,

WE OF COURSE OPPOSED THE RELEASE OF FALSE NEWS AND REPORTS THAT WOULD ALARM THE PUBLIC AND DISTURB PUBLIC ORDER. BUT THE USE OF VAGUE TERMS THAT COULD BE SUBJECT TO DIFFERENT INTERPRETATIONS COULD CREATE PSYCHOLOGICAL PRESSURE ON JOURNALISTS.'*

**NEW EVENING POST (11 MARCH)

T 1

THE NEW EVENING POST, IN A COMMENTARY, SAID AS FAR AS NEWS ETHICS WERE CONCERNED, THE CONTROL ON FALSE NEWS WAS NOT WRONG. BUT THE PRESENT PROBLEM CENTRED ON THE DEFINITION OF FALSE NEWS. QUESTIONS SUCH AS WHETHER DEVELOPING NEWS WOULD BE REGARDED AS FALSE NEWS, HOW THE LAW WOULD OPERATE AND WHETHER THE SOURCES OF INFORMATION COULD BE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL, HAD YET TO COME TO A CONSENSUS. IN VIEW OF THE MEDIA'S OPPOSITION, PROBLEMS WOULD ARISE IN THE OPERATION OF THE LAW EVEN IF THE LAW WAS PASSED. THEREFORE, IT WOULD BE IN THE INTERESTS OF PROSPERITY AND STABILITY IF THE BILL COULD BE FURTHER STUDIED SO THAT THERE WOULD BE A GREATER SHARING OF VIEWS BEFORE A DECISION WAS TAKEN ON WHAT TO DO NEXT.' # 1

AKERS-JONES

HMLNAN 0084

HONG KONG AGREEMENT: RESTRICTED

LIMITED

HD/HKD

HD/FED

RESEARCH D. (FE)

DEP.HD/PUSD

PS/MR RENTON

SIR. D. WILSON

MR GILLMORE

COPIES TO:

MR FIFOOT, LEGAL ADVISERS

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