apple daily, authoritarian rule of Hong Kong, china, freedom of press, jimmy lai, joshua wong

Press Freedom Threatened as Jimmy Lai Arrested by Hong Kong Police

On August 10, the Hong Kong police arrested seven people, including Jimmy Lai, founder of Apple Daily, a Hong Kong tabloid-style newspaper. It is part of Next Digital, the parent company. Along with Jimmy Lai, his two sons and four senior officials of Next Digital were also arrested under the new Hong Kong National Security ...

Michael Segarty

Jimmy Lai wearing a face mask.

Bloomberg Fired Reporter for Writing Against Chinese Corruption

A newspaper is supposed to expose crimes and scandals. But Bloomberg apparently decided to look the other way and rejected a report that spoke harshly against corruption in China. Bloomberg silencing Chinese criticism The incident occurred way back in 2012 when Michael Bloomberg, the company’s founder, was the Mayor of New York. A correspondent at ...

Jack Roberts

A news room.

U.S.-China Media War: Beijing Expels American Journalists

China has revoked the press credentials of U.S. journalists affiliated with The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. In addition, five American media outlets have been declared as foreign government functionaries, essentially marking them as agencies controlled by Washington. These include The Times, Voice of America, Time magazine, The Journal, ...

Jack Roberts

Offices of 'The New York Times.'

Most Chinese Media in the U.S. Controlled by the Chinese Government

China owns or controls the majority of Chinese media outlets in the U.S., says a Hoover Institution study. Among the major Chinese-language media outlets, only a handful remain independent media outlets. Most of the other media outlets are either an extension of Beijing’s propaganda machine or very friendly with the mainland Chinese regime. The Hoover ...

Hermann Rohr

Media censorship.

China Releases Acclaimed Photojournalist Lu Guang From Detention

Lu Guang is a renowned photojournalist from China known for covering subjects like the environment, the economy, and social issues. In November 2018, Lu was arrested by the Chinese government. The latest reports suggest that the 58-year-old is currently under surveillance with a “bail-like” release. Arrest and release of Lu Guang The news of Lu ...

Max Lu

Lu Guang.

Why DOJ Charge Against Julian Assange Is an Attack on the Press

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) recently charged WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange with 17 counts of violating the Espionage Act. Many believe this to be a direct attack on press freedom. Danger to press freedom Founded in 2006, WikiLeaks has released several documents that raised ethical questions about the American military’s actions in Iraq and ...

Jack Roberts

Julian Assange.

When Banning Fake News Is Even More Dangerous Than Fake News

Singapore has proposed a fake news bill that, if passed, could severely curtail free speech in the region. People with opinions that differ from the government can be monitored, arrested, and convicted on security grounds, thereby limiting political activism. Fake news bill The proposed law was introduced in the parliament on April 1 and seeks to ...

Max Lu

Singapore.

Foreign Media Excluded From China’s 19th National Congress

China’s 19th National Congress held on October 25, 2017, excluded several mainstream media organizations. The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China (FCCC) regards the exclusion as a serious violation of freedom of the press. The committee, which sees as its purpose protecting the rights of journalists, condemned the action and believes it to be an act ...

Hermann Rohr