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Following is the speech delivered by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Henry Tang, at the opening ceremony for Pulitzer Prize Winners Workshop held in the Hong Kong Baptist University this (November 4) afternoon:
Mr Wilfred Wong, Professor Albert Chan, Mr K C Chan, Stephen (Young), distinguished guests, students, friends, ladies and gentlemen,
Good afternoon.
I am delighted to congratulate the Hong Kong Baptist University and the Hong Kong Economic Journal on staging the Pulitzer Prize Winners Workshop.
I would also like to thank all the distinguished Pulitzer Prize Winners and guest speakers for attending this event.
I would like to extend a very special warm welcome to Mark Fiore, the first Pulitzer Prize Winner for Animated Cartoons. I look forward to finding them and seeing them.
I don't think I am alone here because many of us do enjoy cartoons. Most of my experience with cartoonists, however, has been on the receiving end.
I may not always see the funny side of cartoons that feature my colleagues, my boss or myself, but I am fortunate about one thing ˇV most of the time, the caricature of me is usually a little more rugged, younger and more handsome.
We should never underestimate the power of satirical humour in journalism. Nor should we forget the importance of being able to laugh at ourselves from time to time.
In today's interconnected world, the line between journalists and their audience can become blurred. Not only do we receive news and commentary from around the world on blogs, websites, twitter, facebook, youtube and so on, we can also post our own comments too.
The rapid evolution of new media provides both challenges and opportunities to journalists. Today, breaking stories often appear first on the Internet. But how do we know if they are a genuine story, propaganda, pure gossip or an April foolˇ¦s joke?
This is a dilemma brought about by the new level of social interaction and the trend towards more consumer-led media.
In 2010 there have been a number of headline-grabbing stories in Hong Kong or related to Hong Kong.
These stories often highlight the power of the media, the influence of new technology and changing attitudes in society. They also bring up issues that require some soul searching or reflection by the media and the society at large.
Allow me to just give you a couple of examples.
In January, funding for the Hong Kong-Guangzhou Express Rail Link was in the spotlight. Accompanying the divide between the supporters and the protestors also came the interesting interaction, or sometimes even tension, between the traditional media and social media.
In June, the political reform package was passed by the Legislative Council. Opinions in our society about the reform proposals were divided, so were the media. It also called into question how far editorial stance or opinions of the media could influence objective reporting.
And something more recent, there was the tragic bus hostage incident involving Hong Kong tourists in Manila.
The broadcast media in the Philippines gave the whole saga blanket live coverage. Viewers around the world, including the gunman and his hostages on the bus, watched the events unfold on TV. There was criticism that the coverage had in some way affected rescue efforts. And the question is : Should the need to resolve a situation outweigh the need to know what is going on?
These are some of the issues that have been raised by certain events. They reflect the power of new media, the desire of our younger generation to have their views heard, and the competitive world of 24-hour news.
This Workshop will discuss, among other things, the challenges of new technology and changing attitudes in society and the need for reporters to hold onto core principles of integrity, independence and public service.
Allow me to call on some words of wisdom from Joseph Pulitzer that have stood the test of time and new technology.
His advice on writing a story was this, and I quote: "Put it before them briefly so they will read it, clearly so they will appreciate it, picturesquely so they will remember it and, above all, accurately so they will be guided by its light." End quote.
Ladies and gentlemen, Hong Kong has a number of great advantages when it comes to the media. We have a broad pool of committed, talented journalists or journalists-to-be, who uphold or will uphold the highest standards of the profession through accurate reporting.
One of Hong Kong's greatest strengths as Asiaˇ¦s world city is our commitment to maintaining a free and unfettered media. This is guaranteed under the ˇ§One Country, Two Systemsˇ¨ principle and enshrined in our constitutional document the Basic Law.
We are determined to protect the core value of freedom of expression.
To do so, we must also remember that the freedom to express our opinion is not a one-way ticket. Promoting a free flow of ideas and information not only requires us to voice our opinions, it also comes with an obligation to listen to the views of others. We need to keep an open mind, encourage dialogue and, sometimes we need to have the courage to change our opinions if we believe it is the right thing to do.
A free flow of information and open dialogue is also what this Workshop is all about.
This event is a great opportunity for journalism students, and indeed anyone connected to the media industry, to learn first hand from those at the very top of the profession.
Once again, congratulations to the Hong Kong Baptist University's Department of Journalism and the Hong Kong Economic Journal on hosting the 4th Pulitzer Prize Winners Workshop.
I wish all participants a successful Workshop and our distinguished visitors a memorable and enjoyable stay in Hong Kong. Please put enough dent in your credit card.
Thank you very much.
Ends/Thursday, November 4, 2010
Issued at HKT 18:17
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