Hong Kong police have amended the definition of ‘media representative’ in their guidelines, according to a letter sent to four journalism associations on September 22, 2020. The decision has sparked an outcry across the media industry, with some members arguing the revisions would threaten the city's press freedom.
The amended definition states that press accreditations issued by local media groups or journalist associations will no longer be recognised. It states that police officers are not obliged to help those who are not officially recognised as media representatives under the new definition, who can also be subject to criminal charges for offences such as attending an illegal assembly or violating social-distancing rules.
