RTHK Condemns 'smearing' Over Tinned Goods Report

An RTHK report on tinned goods handed out to people caught up in the weekend’s unprecedented coronavirus lockdown in Jordan has apparently opened a can of worms, with the broadcaster on Monday having to hit back at accusations that it tried to intentionally mislead people to criticise the government.

An RTHK reporter was among thousands of people forced to stay in the restricted area to get tested for Covid-19. A picture of the contents of a parcel of food handed out by the government showed that the reporter was given five packs of instant noodles, dried pasta, along with tins of fish, baked beans and spam, plus a serving of corn.

The brief social media post noted that no can opener was provided, nor were there any cooking implements to cook the noodles with.

Some seized upon the picture of the tins, which was shot at an angle that did not show the top, and compared it to photos provided by residents of the area that clearly showed that most of the cans had built-in ring pulls.

Some prominent pro-government politicians, including Ng Chau-pei from the Federation of Trade Unions said this showed the station was trying to intentionally mislead its audience.

“The RTHK reporter had a pre-determined stance, and is unprofessional,” he wrote in a social media post. “RTHK has become the scum of the journalism world!”

In response, RTHK issued a statement "severely condemning" the "smear."

A spokesman said the report stated the facts, and added that the station always places an emphasis on accurate and impartial reporting.

Other affected residents had complained about the lack of a can opener in reports by other media organisations.