Legal Challenge Mulled Against Accreditation Changes

Eight media groups said on Thursday they are considering a legal challenge against a police decision to change the media accreditation policy that took effect on Wednesday.

The vice chairman of Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) Ronson Chan said at a press conference on Thursday that the group was currently consulting several lawyers, and if there is sufficient grounds they will submit a judicial review.

Chan was accompanied by representatives of seven other media groups who have called on the police to reverse their decision to stop recognising reporters unless they are registered with the government, or are a member of an internationally-known media group.

They accused the police of misleading and lying to the public over the benefits that the change would bring, saying that in fact it would actually restrict news gathering, even in the cordoned area.

They also rejected the police’s claim of “fake journalists”, saying the force have never backed up their claims.

Vivian Tam, a lecturer at the Chinese University's School of Journalism and Communication, said the rule change would impact journalism education, because it doesn't cover freelance and student journalists, and would mean student reporters won't be able to get frontline experience.

Tam also said that a lot of student journalists went to cover last year's siege at Polytechnic University during the the anti-government protests, and that she coordinated with the Police Public Relations Branch and the HKJA at the time to help student reporters leave the scene.

She said at the time officers identified student reporters using their student ID cards, and said she couldn't understand why that could not be done now.

HKJA's chairman Chris Yeung called on all media organisations to stand in a united front against the latest arrangement, saying the change is yet more evidence of police treating the media as their enemy.

He said it’s also worrying that the updated general order states that police would only assist reporters when their operation efficiency is not undermined, saying it’s a subjective judgement.