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| The Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Hong Kong is extremely concerned by reports that journalists in Hong Kong have been harassed and threatened online and offline because of their work. |
| The Hong Kong Journalists Association has reported that journalists, along with their family and associates, have been subjects of a targeted campaign of harassment in recent months. These bullying messages are illegal, and should be condemned not only for the violence they seek to inflict, but also for their threats to the freedom of the press as it is guaranteed as a fundamental right in Hong Kong. |
| We advocate for journalists’ right to continue to carry out their work unhindered, free of harassment and danger, and we stand in solidarity with all journalists in Hong Kong who seek to work and live in a safe environment. |
We note that reports have been made to the authorities and ask that they urgently investigate these reported threats to ensure the safety of journalists working in the city. |
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FCC Clare Hollingworth Fellowship 2024 – 2025 – Applications Open
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| FCC Clare Hollingworth Fellowship – Applications Open |
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| The Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Hong Kong is accepting applications for the Clare Hollingworth Fellowship, named after the preeminent and path-breaking journalist. |
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| Ms. Hollingworth had a remarkable career as a foreign correspondent with the scoop of the century as a 27-year-old when she reported on Germany’s invasion of Poland in 1939. Ms. Hollingworth was also a treasured member of the FCC for more than 40 years who made significant contributions to the intellectual and professional life of the FCC. |
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| The Hollingworth Fellowship honours early career journalists and current journalism school students in Hong Kong. Journalists and journalism students from all fields of professional study are eligible. Applications close on October 7, 2024. The fellowship will run for one calendar November 1, 2024 – October 31, 2025. |
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Overview of key features of the fellowship:
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| For details on past fellows, please see below: |
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Fellows Requirements and Expectations
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| Eligibility Criteria
Candidates must meet all of the following criteria to apply:
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| Application Process and Material
Applications must be submitted in English by October 7, 2024. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted. Only chosen candidates will be notified by writing. All files must be submitted in either PDF or MS Word format to [email protected] with the subject line
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FCC statement on Stand News verdict
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| Today, two Hong Kong journalists have been convicted of a crime for articles they published. |
| Although sentencing is adjourned until 26 September 2024 and the defendants have been granted court bail until that date, there still remains a risk that Chung Pui-kuen and Patrick Lam might serve prison sentences for their roles in reporting, editing and publishing interviews, features and opinion pieces. Of the 17 articles the court considered, many had been taken down and only five remained active at the time of their arrest, but today the Wan Chai District Court ruled that 11 had “seditious intentions”. |
| Chung Pui-kuen was the ex-chief editor and Patrick Lam the acting chief editor of non-profit digital news outlet Stand News, which closed down in December 2021 after it was raided by over 200 national security police officers. |
This verdict will send shockwaves through Hong Kong newsrooms, as well as international news organisations with bureaus in the city, as they seek to understand whether their day-to-day operations could be in violation of Hong Kong law. This case has long been regarded by many as a litmus test for press freedom in the city. The FCC will further assess the details of this verdict and its implications for our operations. Doubtlessly, news organisations throughout Hong Kong will be doing exactly the same. |
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FCC Statement on Bloomberg journalist Haze Fan’s work visa denial
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| The Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Hong Kong is concerned by reports that Bloomberg journalist Haze Fan has been refused a visa to work at the organisation’s Hong Kong bureau. |
| Fan, a Chinese national, is a qualified and experienced journalist who has also worked for Reuters, CBS News and CNBC in her 15-year career. According to multiple reports, Fan was detained by Chinese authorities in late 2020 and arrested in July 2021 on suspicion of committing crimes endangering national security. She was released in early 2022 without charge. |
| The FCC has reached out to the Immigration Department to ask that they improve transparency in respect of any denial of work visas in this and in other similar cases. Whilst we request an urgent review of this decision, a proper explanation for any future denial of work visas or entry into Hong Kong by journalists is a necessary improvement to the system, and would positively impact the public and international perception of Hong Kong as a business centre. |
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FCC Statement on HKJA chairperson Selina Cheng’s termination by The Wall Street Journal
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| The Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Hong Kong is deeply concerned by the news of Hong Kong Journalists Association chairperson Selina Cheng’s dismissal as an employee of The Wall Street Journal. |
| Ms Cheng said that senior editors at the paper asked her to withdraw from the HKJA’s recent election once they learned she was running to be the chairperson of the journalists’ union. When she refused, she said she was told that being HKJA’s chairperson would be incompatible with her job. Less than a month later, she was fired. |
| The FCC has reached out to The Wall Street Journal for comment and to ask why Ms Cheng’s employment was terminated. |
| Press freedom is enshrined in Article 27 of Hong Kong’s Basic Law, the same article that guarantees Hongkongers the right to form and join trade unions. Representing the rights of journalists, which includes defending freedom of the press, should not be controversial. The FCC fully supports The Wall Street Journal’s ongoing efforts to secure the freedom of its reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has been unjustly imprisoned in Russia for more than a year. If the editors of the Journal advocate for reporters’ rights to do their jobs without fear and intimidation in Russia, they should do the same in Hong Kong. |
| We urge The Wall Street Journal and all news organisations to respect reporters’ rights to join press clubs and to advocate for press freedom without the fear of punitive action from their own newsrooms. |
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FCC Board of Governors 2024-2025 Election Results
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| Congratulations to the new FCC Board of Governors for 2024-2025. They will begin serving after the Annual General Meeting on May 30. |
| We would like to thank the outgoing Board members for their service. |
| The new Board members are listed below. |
| PRESIDENT Lee WILLIAMSON |
| FIRST VICE PRESIDENT Morgan DAVIS |
| SECOND VICE PRESIDENT Tim HUXLEY |
| CORRESPONDENT GOVERNORS Karly COX Jennifer JETT Karen KOH Kristie LU STOUT Dean NAPOLITANO Peter PARKS Laura WESTBROOK William ZHENG |
| JOURNALIST GOVERNORS Zela CHIN Joe PAN |
| ASSOCIATE GOVERNORS LIU Kin-ming Lynne MULHOLLAND Christopher SLAUGHTER Barbara YU LARSSON
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| 23 May 2024 |
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FCC Statement on World Press Freedom Day
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| This World Press Freedom Day, the Foreign Correspondents’ Club Hong Kong reinforces its commitment to pushing to maintain freedom of the press in Hong Kong and around the globe. |
| As journalists and media organisations in Hong Kong face rising pressure and uncertainty due to the recent passing of the Safeguarding National Security Act, May 3 acts as a reminder for government officials to respect their stated commitment to press freedom. It is also a day for media professionals to reflect on issues of press freedom and professional ethics. |
| Today we celebrate the media’s role in providing a platform to tell stories which keep our society informed and engaged about issues which affect us all. We advocate for journalists’ right to continue to carry out their work unhindered, free of harassment and danger. |
| We show solidarity with Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter who has been detained in Russia for over a year, and the hundreds of journalists imprisoned or killed as a consequence of doing their jobs covering conflicts in Myanmar, Ukraine, the Middle East and elsewhere. |
| The Israel-Gaza war, in particular, calls attention to the need for governments to do more to safeguard journalists’ ability to inform the public. We mourn the 97 journalists and media workers killed in the course of covering that war, and express our deep concern for the 45 others reported injured, missing or arrested.1 |
| The FCC will continue to monitor the press freedom situation in Hong Kong, make statements and question government policy with an aim to ensure that journalists can carry out their work without fear or favour. |
“Freedom of the press is a precious privilege that no country can forgo” – Mahatma Gandhi |
1Committee to Protect Journalists, 29 April 2024 https://cpj.org/2024/04/journalist-casualties-in-the-israel-gaza-conflict |
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Nominees for the Election of the Board of Governors 2024-2025
Dear Members,
Here are the nominations for the FCC Board of Governors 2024-2025. Below are links to each nominee’s bio and policy statement. Please read them before voting.
| Notes: | |||
| a. | Please indicate your vote by putting a “✓” in the appropriate bracket. Any mark other than a “✓” shall invalidate this Ballot paper. | ||
| b. | If vote(s) casted exceed(s) the number allowed in respective capacity, this Ballot paper shall be invalid. | ||
| c. | Bio & policy statements of the candidates are available at the FCC website <www.fcchk.org>. | ||
| d. | The completed Ballot paper must be received by the Club, either by mail or in the Ballot box, not later than 3pm on Thursday, 23 May 2024. | ||
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CANDIDATES |
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| PRESIDENT (The position of President can be voted by Correspondent members only) (Vote for not more than one) |
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| 1. Lee WILLIAMSON – SCMP | ||
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FIRST VICE PRESIDENT |
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| 2. Morgan DAVIS – IFR Asia | ||
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SECOND VICE PRESIDENT |
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| 3. Tim HUXLEY – Mandarin Shipping | ||
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CORRESPONDENT MEMBER GOVERNORS |
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| 4. Karly COX – Tatler Asia | ||
| 5. Jennifer JETT – Asia Digital Editor, NBC News | ||
| 6. Karen KOH – Freelance broadcast journalist | ||
| 7. Kari Soo LINDBERG– Bloomberg News | ||
| 8. Kristie LU STOUT – CNN International | ||
| 9. Connor MYCROFT – SCMP | ||
| 10. Dean NAPOLITANO – The New York Times International Edition | ||
| 11. Peter PARKS – AFP | ||
| 12. Stephanie Barrio THORN – The New York Times | ||
| 13. Laura WESTBROOK – Feature Story News | ||
| 14. William ZHENG – SCMP | ||
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JOURNALIST MEMBER GOVERNORS |
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| 15. Zela CHIN – TVB | ||
| 16. HO Man Kit Raymond – Metro Broadcast Corp. Ltd. | ||
| 17. Joe PAN – NFTMetta News | ||
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ASSOCIATE MEMBER GOVERNORS |
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| 18. CHAN Nap Kee Joseph – Oriental Patron Financial Group | ||
| 19. LIU Kin-ming – KM & Associates | ||
| 20. Lynne MULHOLLAND – The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels | ||
| 21. Christopher SLAUGHTER – AIA Group | ||
| 22. Barbara YU LARSSON – PAKT Limited | ||
| 23. Alexandra YUNG – Creasians Company Ltd | ||
FCC Statement on border entry denial of Reporters Without Borders representative
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| The Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Hong Kong is concerned that a representative of global press freedom NGO Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has been denied entry to Hong Kong by the city’s immigration officials. |
| Aleksandra Bielakowska travelled to Hong Kong twice in 2023 without incident, both times in her professional capacity as an Advocacy Officer at RSF, but was denied entry on this trip. Her colleague Cédric Alviani, who was travelling with Ms Bielakowska on April 10, was granted entry to Hong Kong. |
| The FCC has reached out to the Immigration Department to ask why Ms Bielakowska was denied entry. |
| While we appreciate that the Immigration Department does not normally comment on individual cases, we respectfully request an explanation in order to improve the transparency of the system, and so that the public may better understand the reasons behind the decision. |
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FCC Nomination for the Board of Governors 2024–2025
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| FCC Nomination for the Board of Governors 2024 – 2025 |
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| Dear Members, |
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| The FCC Annual Nomination Meeting will be held on Wednesday, 10 April 2024 for the purpose of accepting oral nominations for the Board of Governors for the 2024 – 2025 Term. |
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| Under the provisions of the Articles of Association, nominations may also be made in writing. |
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| For those who wish to make a written nomination or nominations, please use the form(s) we are sending to you by mail or you can ask from the office. The written nominations should be delivered to the Club office, either in person or by registered letter, no later than 6pm on Wednesday, 10 April 2024. |
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| Nominations are invited for the following positions: |
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A President who shall be a Correspondent Member. The nomination must be made and seconded by Correspondent Members. A First Vice-President who shall be a Correspondent Member. The nomination must be made and seconded by Correspondent Members. A Second Vice-President who may be a Journalist Member or an Associate Member. The nominations may be made and seconded by Correspondent Members, Journalist Members or Associate Members. Eight (8) Correspondent Member Governors who shall be Correspondent Members. The nominations must be made and seconded by Correspondent Members. Two (2) Journalist Member Governors who shall be Journalist Members. The nominations may be made and seconded by Correspondent Members or Journalist Members. Four (4) Associate Member Governors who shall be Associate Members. The nominations may be made and seconded by any Voting Member. |
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| A Member being nominated does not mean that he or she is elected a Club Officer. An election by mail ballot will be held subsequently and the mail ballot papers together with a list of candidates accepted will be sent to all Members of the Club one week after the Nomination Meeting. |
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| A candidate for election to the Board of Governors can accept nomination for only one position on the Board of Governors. |
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| By order of the Board of Governors, |
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| Lee Williamson President |
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