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The following is the speech delivered by the Chief Executive, Mr Tung Chee Hwa, today (March 30) at the Presentation Ceremony of Press Awards 1999:
Mr Lee, friends from the press, ladies and gentlemen,
It gives me great pleasure to be here today to take part in the Presentation Ceremony of Press Awards 1999 organised by the Newspaper Society of Hong Kong. I would like to take this opportunity to convey my congratulations to the winners on their excellent news writing and photographs. The winners are commendable for their hard work and the excellent work they have produced within a tight time frame. Their accomplishment is not easy to come by. Of course, the editors who give support at the back by vetting carefully the scripts and scrutinising the photographs taken are equally praiseworthy.
The annual Awards organised by the Newspaper Society of Hong Kong help to enhance the professional standards of the media. Among members of the Selection Panel this year are experienced journalists, representatives from a number of business associations and members of the community. The composition of the Panel can certainly serve to select outstanding works much appreciated by the public from the standpoint of public acceptance. As a newspaper reader, I share the expectation of the community for the local press to enhance the quality of news reporting. I therefore support the newspaper profession to strive for excellence to secure wider popularity.
Hong Kong is an open and tolerant society. Some residents are locally born while some come from various countries and places. Their cultural backgrounds are different. Hong Kong is an intensively populated city, an international cosmopolitan where people with different nationalities, beliefs, cultures and mode of living live together. With strict adherence to the Basic Law, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is committed to protecting the freedom of press, freedom of speech as well as other basic rights enjoyed by the people of Hong Kong. The efforts we have been making in law and policy enforcement are directed towards maintaining a free, open and fair society in which our people can strive to achieve greater success through self-improvement.
Our society is highly tolerant. The stories covered by our newspapers are diverse in terms of subjects and content. Different views and opinions are often expressed in our newspapers. The layouts also vary from paper to paper. It is natural for newspapers to secure wider public popularity in order to improve their circulation. However, in the long run, they can only fully meet the expectations of the community by striving for excellence and quality. As I have said before, newspapers represent public institution with a social responsibility. Newspapers are circulated widely in our community every day and therefore exercise very considerable influence. It is natural for the readers to expect newspapers to make a positive contribution to the values and standards in our community.
For example, the outstanding photographs selected by representatives from various sectors of the community this year are much appreciated by the readers. They are distinct from pictures which have to be encoded and blurred in part for publication.
The selection and appreciation of these outstanding entries certainly reflect a degree of value judgement. In our society, there exists a set of mainstream values to distinguish what is genuine, good and beautiful from what is ingenuine, distasteful and shameful. While Hong Kong society is highly open and tolerant, we have our own basic values which characterise our way of thinking, moral sentiments, behaviours and tastes. Hong Kong is part of China and the majority of our residents are Chinese. Our society has naturally inherited the essence of the Chinese culture, but at the same time has absorbed new ideas and cultural influences from the rest of the world. However, certain ethical values and norms are common to all civilisations, Chinese and western alike. The people of Hong Kong have always strived for self-improvement. We attach great importance to education, respect the elderly, care for the children, and are always ready to help in a worthy cause. These qualities are often displayed in various aspects of our community. Our international outlook and prompt response to new technological and scientific advances are the major factors of Hong Kong's continued success.
Yet not all the beliefs and sentiments of our community are worthy of recognition. Before 1997, many people of Hong Kong regarded themselves as "occasional travellers" here. An English journalist described Hong Kong as "a borrowed place with borrowed time". Thus, many people lacked long term planning in various aspects. Under the social conditions at that time, some people lacked a sense of belonging to our community. The lack of foresight also intensified people's urge for quick success and instant benefits. In the 90's, with the emergence of "bubble economy", some people were keen to try their luck in making "quick money". Our community has now become more down to earth as the "bubble economy" has burst as a result of the Asian financial turmoil. Even though the urge to look for short term benefits under collective influence has not completely died out, more and more people are now willing to acquire new knowledge and work in a realistic way to explore new areas for economic expansion.
Hong Kong has now reunified with China. With a far-reaching vision, we can now proceed to map out a plan of sustainable development for Hong Kong. Our basic values are certainly in line with the "One country, Two systems" principle - respect our own nation, cherish and maintain the systems and lifestyles which we have long been accustomed to. Common basic values help to establish a more cohesive society and maintain stability and prosperity. The HKSAR Government is committed to serving the community. Every member of my Administration should uphold the ethical values of the civil service. In the private sector, various trades abide by their own professional ethics. It is all the more important for members of the media to uphold the ethics of their profession. The Chinese saying, "to shoulder responsibility with iron shoulders and write with a skilful hand", best underlines the spirit of journalists, whom we hold in high esteem.
As from the standpoint of public acceptance, we should recognise that the community has expressed concerns about some of the practices of the press. These include reports which are irresponsible and distorted; coverage which harms the interest of persons being reported on, without regard to the circumstances which victims face nor their privacy; excessive display of sex and violence, etc. Although such practices are not prevalent in most newspapers, they are sufficient to arouse concern in the community. Against this background, some time ago the Sub-committee on Privacy of the Law Reform Commission put forward the proposal of establishing a new regulatory framework. Several professional bodies of the media, including the Newspaper Society of Hong Kong, have mooted proposals for self-regulation of the media. I earnestly hope that the press will strengthen its professional ethics, pursue self-regulation and meet the expectations of the public.
The Government attaches much importance to the control of pornographic publications and has the commitment to address the issue. Members of the public and the HKSAR Government are very concerned about pornographic articles disseminated through the media which profane the morals of young people. The young generation represents Hong Kong's future. We have the responsibility to create a healthy environment for their development. This is not solely the responsibility of the press. We need the concerted efforts of parents, teachers and the entire community. With our joint commitment, and through developing Hong Kong into a major city of China as well as a leading world city of Asia, we will be able to establish a society which is rich in culture and which can offer the people of Hong Kong a more fulfilling life.
Thank you.
End/Thursday, March 30, 2000
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