LAI YING-KIT YINGKIT.LAI@SCMP.COM
PUBLISHED : Monday, 02 November, 2015, 3:20pm
UPDATED : Monday, 02 November, 2015, 3:20pm
Journalists and teachers shout slogans at HKU on Monday. Photo: Dickson Lee
Seven groups of journalists and teachers today urged the University of Hong Kong to withdraw a court order which bars the media from disclosing discussion of the university’s council meetings.
Shouting slogans, representatives from the group gave a petition letter to an officer of the university today.
The groups included the Hong Kong Journalism Association, the Hong Kong Press Photographers Association, the RTHK Programme Staff Union, the Next Media Trade Union, Ming Pao Staff Association, the Independent Commentators Association and Journalism Educators for Press Freedom.
They said the injunction obtained by HKU dealt a severe blow to press freedom, and deprived the public of the right to know about an important decision by the HKU council.
The injunction bars media organisations from releasing audio recordings, papers and discussions of the HKU council. It came after Commercial Radio last week aired two audio clips featuring two council members discussing the appointment of law scholar Professor Johannes Chan Man-mun’s bid for a senior managerial position.
Hong Kong Journalists Association vice-chairwoman Shirley Yam said the injunction sought by HKU smothered the media from reporting issues of interest to the public.
“It set a very bad example. If other organisations follow suit in the future, the public will not be able to know important information,” she said.
Yam said the association was seeking legal advice to decide whether to make a plea when the matter returns to the High Court on Friday.
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1874932/hku-injunction-sets-bad-example-press-freedom
