ENG-1990 — Page 353

COMMUNICATIONS AND THE MEDIA

Hong Kong is the South-east Asian base for many newspapers, magazines, news agencies and electronic media. Among the international news agencies with offices in Hong Kong are Associated Press, Reuters, United Press International, Agence France Presse, Kyodo News Service of Japan, Agencia EFE of Spain and LUSA of Portugal. Newsweek and Time magazines have editions printed in Hong Kong, which is also the base for the regional magazines Asiaweek and the Far Eastern Economic Review, as well as the Asian Wall Street Journal and the International Herald Tribune.

Several organisations represent and cater for people working in the news media in Hong Kong. The Newspaper Society of Hong Kong represents Chinese and English newspaper proprietors. It is empowered to act in matters affecting the interests of its members. The Hong Kong Journalists Association, founded in 1968, is the only territory-wide trade union for local journalists. It seeks to recommend better training, pay and conditions in journalism, and advises its members in the event of disputes with employers. As an active member of the International Federation of Journalists, it plays a significant role in the international press freedom movement, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region. The Foreign Correspondents' Club offers its members social facilities and a range of professional activities, including news conferences, briefings and films. The Hong Kong Press Club provides an opportunity for journalists to meet socially.

The Journalism Training Board continues to provide up-grading courses for working journalists. With an allocation of $200,000 from the Vocational Training Council, the board conducted seven courses in 1990, the most popular being Oral Communication Skills Course for Journalists, conducted by the Centre for Professional and Business English, Hong Kong Polytechnic.

Implementing recommendations by the Training Needs Survey conducted last year, the board collaborated with the Hong Kong Journalists Association in a series of practical journalism courses/talks for reporters.

The Advertising, Public Relations and Publishing Training Board, established last year, published its first manpower survey report. The manpower information collected on the three sectors will help the board to assess their future training needs.

Hong Kong's Image Overseas

Overview

One of the main objectives of the government's information policy is to project a proper image of Hong Kong to overseas communities.

In this task, the Information Co-ordinator's office maintains close contact with the government's overseas offices, and consuls-general and commissioners of foreign countries in Hong Kong and the various non-government agencies responsible for promoting Hong Kong overseas, such as the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, the Hong Kong Tourist Association, chambers of commerce and major Hong Kong companies. As international interest in the major issues confronting Hong Kong has increased, so the government, in co-operation with other members of 'Hong Kong Inc.', has expanded the programme of joint promotional activities mounted overseas.

The government also runs sponsored visitors and speakers programmes. Influential politicians, parliamentarians, government officials and businessmen from countries with close relations with Hong Kong are invited here to undertake programmes of visits and briefings aimed at improving their understanding of the territory. Like the sponsored

299