Thread by @WilliamYang120

Important piece from @xinwenxiaojie on the state of #PressFreedom in #HongKong following the series of arrests of journalists and the forced closure of #AppleDaily over the last few days. theconversation.com/hongkongers-mo…

"The end of Apple Daily on June 24 wasn’t a surprise. But that it came at such short notice, following dramatic raids, the arrest of senior journalists and the freezing of its assets has already had a chilling effect on the rest of Hong Kong’s media."

"Apple’s demise and the wiping of Stand News archive are the latest in a series of developments that have eroded Hong Kong’s press freedom and undermined editorial independence at the city’s news outlets."

"In the wake of these developments, journalists are running out of newsrooms where they can still practise relatively independent, critical journalism."

Another journalist, Max* who currently works at Citizen News admits he does worry: “We’re always saying we might not be able to carry on for much longer, maybe a year, or maybe even that’s too optimistic.”

But Max insists that even if the platforms disappear, there will be journalism as long as there are journalists. He himself is a member of the former i-Cable China team that joined Citizen News en masse after the mass resignations there last year.

His experience has prompted him to urge former Apple Daily journalists to set up their own teams and journalistic ventures. “I’m always reminding myself that when mainland [Chinese] journalists are still striving within and outside the system … how can we give up so easily?”

Lui says journalism schools used to teach students how to be journalists in a free society. But as Hong Kong loses more of its freedoms “we have to help students understand how to report in Mainland [China], ...

... because the environment is increasingly converging with that of the mainland, where there are many clear and hidden rules,” Lui says.

Despite the setback and her concerns about how the Hong Kong mediascape will look when she graduates in a year’s time, Charis hasn’t given up on journalism just yet.

“It’s a difficult path to tread and press freedom is forever shrinking. But I still hope we can use any remaining freedom to report the best we can. I believe that as long as there are people willing to do so, there will be space to practice journalism.”