Video 1

Topic:“The government should exercise closer controls over the media as they have crossed the

line of decency.”Research the issue with recent incidents in Hong Kong. Should the government penalize the media or does freedom of the press guarantee people’s

rights to read and watch what they like?

Vanessa Choi (5)Vanessa Choi (5)Lilian Fung (8)Lilian Fung (8)

• Janice Li, Executive Manager of Hong Kong Press Council, was interviewed to find out the answer.

Our Presentation Outline

A. Function of the media. B. 3 recent incidents about the pressC. Positive and negative impact of legislation

on the press D. Other alternative methods to control the

mediaE. Find out the best way to balance a free

press and privacy rights

Main functions of media

I. Send information, ideas and opinions

II. To correlate various parts of the social system

III. advertising, marketing, propaganda, public relations, and political communication.

IV. Education and entertainment

1

Beliefs of the journalists

※Freedom of speech is a basic human right

※Freedom of press must be guaranteed under the Basic Law.

※Freedom of press should be upheld and public interest should be the basis of media’s work.

※The principals of truth, objectively and fairness should be respected.

1

Recent Incident!

Video 2

Gillian Chung VS Easy Finder !

Published the pictures of Gillian Chung changing costumes backstage during a concert in Malaysia in a cover story in August 2006.

Easy Finder sill continued to publish the second printings on 24 August 2006.

Main functions of media? Beliefs of the journalists?

• Gillian did not do anything illegal. She was only changing her clothes in a room before a show.

• Photographing a celebrity changing her clothes would not be deemed in the public interest.

Freedom of press?Journalists have their rights?

• Response:

• at least 103 complaints to the territory’s official media watchdog, the Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority.

The Hong Kong Performing Artistes’ Guild

Parent’s worry

Gillian Chung is an idol of many teenagers and even kids.

Negative image may be developed in their mind

Encourage the negative atmosphere

Second incident: Poll on the most desirable cele

brities to indecently assault

Radio presenters

Sammy Leung and KittyYuen

Response:

Criticism from the city’s women groups and the media watchdog.

The Broadcasting Authority :

•It gave listeners the wrong impression that indecent assault was trivial and could be made fun of. The indecent assault involved sexual violence and was a criminal offence.

Punishment on the commercial radio

Commercial Radio HK $140,000 fine

• Kitty Yuen and Sammy Leung

suspended for two months.

Response from the General Manager, Rita Chan.

• Training would be provided to enhance professional standard and awareness of moral values.

• Two special committees would be set up in channel one and channel two to monitor programme content.

Renee Lee VS Easy Finder!

• Pictures of a 14 years old female pop singer Renee Lee in a wet T shirt and striking sexy poses were published on the EasyFinder magazine.

Response:

• 138 complaints from the public

• Easyfinder was accused of having violated the Prevention of Child Pornographic materials Regulations.

Response from..

The Executive director of the End Child Sexual Abuse Foundation Ms Shirley Wong Wai Kwan:

urged the public to show their disgust by shunnung such publications.

Response from…

Unicef Hong Kong spokeswoman Fennie Chan:

a child should be protected against all forms of exploitation

local media and parents to exercise greater care in protecting children.

Response from..

Renee’s mother :

I was duped!

Complaints received from the Press Council

050000

100000150000200000250000300000350000400000450000

Compliants receivedfrom press Council

Response from Legislative Council

Tougher Law

Tougher Law

Should the government propose a tougher law?

new proposed law• categorize the following as

criminal offense.

1.  Trespass on private premises to obtain personal information.

2.  The use of sense- enhancing or the government plans to recording devices to obtain personal information of individuals in private premises.

Positive impact of tougher legislation on monitoring the media

1. Better protection of citizens’ privacy.

2. Ensure that journalists obtain information,

photographs and illustrations through a correct

mean.

3. Protect the victim’s right.

• Undermine investigative journalism in Hong Kong.

• Example:• Trespassing on private property to photograph a

dead chicken should be allowed in light of recent bird flu fears.

Negative impact of the tougher law

• People’s right to obtain news concerning the public interest cannot be guaranteed.

Video 3

Other method to monitor the press

• Janice Li, the interviewee, was interviewed to suggest ways to strike a balance between press freedom and monitoring the industry:

1. Media watchdog should be given greater power to enhance self-regulation in the industry.

• blacklist the media who received large number of complaints. This would help people distinguish the good publications from the bad one.

Distribution on the complaints by media type

Most of the complaints are from the non member newspaper

Encourage the publisher to join the council for easier monitoring

2.    Public Education• Ultimately up to the consumers to decide whether or not to

purchase the publication.

• The government could educate the public about the negative impact of inaccurate and exaggerated reports.

• The public can show their disgust by boycotting such publications.

Recommendation

• The government should not impose a tougher law to control the media

• As it will reduce people’s access to information.

Media should…

• Realize that they do not have the right to intrude into people’s privacy to satisfy the prurient interests of readers.

• Apply their own sense of ethics and morality.

• To balance a free press and privacy rights, methods other than legislation, like education and giving more power to monitoring groups, are the best solution in the long term

Consumers’ responsibility.

• report any indecent publication to the Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority to stop the irresponsible style of reporting.

Advertisers’ responsibility

• Advertisers should refuse to place advertisements in these indecent publications.

Discussion questions1. Do you support the new proposed law to monitor

the media?2. Which method is most effective to stop the

irresponsible style of reporting?3. How can there be a balance between press freedom

and privacy of individuals?4. If you were the audience, would you vote in the poll

which was held by the DJ Sammy and Kitty?5. Besides the private life of the artist, suggest other

materials which could boost the sale without crossing the line of decency.