<P> In 1998, there was a controversy about remarks made by magazine publisher Xu Simin alleging anti-mainland bias from the government - funded broadcaster RTHK . Although pro-RTHK commentators saw Xu's comments as coming from Beijing, Central Government representatives distanced themselves from his comments . In 2001, the HKJA expressed concerns that government's and Tung Chee - hwa's "shrill rhetoric (in vilifying Falun Gong) threatens open debate by encouraging self - censorship". </P> <P> Hong Kong's ranking on the Press Freedom Index published annually by Reporters Without Borders was 18th in 2002 . Since then, a number of factors, particularly self - censorship, and high - profile incidents affecting the media have pointed to increasing erosion of journalists' ability to report the news in an objective manner . In 2011, Hong Kong Journalists Association Chairwoman Mak Yin - ting (Chinese: 麥 燕 庭) commented on self - censorship due to growing business ties between Beijing and media owners, asserting that "Now, more than half of Hong Kong media bosses or high media management have been absorbed by the Communist government...They may consider whether reporting on some issues will affect the relationship between their bosses and the government ." That year, Hong Kong's ranking on the Press Freedom Index dropped twenty places to 54th place . In a report published alongside the index, it was noted that "arrests, assaults and harassment worsened working conditions for journalists (in Hong Kong) to an extent not seen previously, a sign of a worrying change in government policy ." Hong Kong's ranking in the index, which stood at 61st in 2014, gave up nine further places in the 2015 report . "Police misconduct" was cited as a factor . Journalists have complained about sensitive news stories critical of the government that they have been under undisguised pressure to change or soften . PEN Center believes that the controversy surrounding CY Leung's dealings with UGL were seriously under - reported in some media outlets . An increasing incidence of physical violence against journalists has been recorded, with the police being implicated in some of these, namely the Hong Kong Journalists Association noted that there were at least 28 attacks on journalists covering the Umbrella Revolution . All told, the incidence of censorship, political pressure to self - censor and intimidation is increasing, according to PEN American Center, International Federation of Journalists . </P> <P> During the two - and - a-half - month protests in 2014, the patchy coverage of events and viewpoints on traditional media turned young people to social media for news . The Guardian described the protests as "the best - documented social movement in history, with even its quieter moments generating a maelstrom of status updates, shares and likes ." People placed greater reliance on alternative media, some of which were launched during the protests . Even the recently defunct House News resurrected itself, reformatted as The House News Bloggers . </P> <P> Since Robert Kuok acquired the South China Morning Post in 1993, there have been concerns over the forced departures, in rapid succession, of several staff and contributors who were considered critical of China or its supporters in Hong Kong . Before the handover, their popular cartoonist Larry Feign, humour columnist Nury Vittachi were dismissed . Since 1997, there have been numerous departures of China - desk staff, namely 2000--01 editorial pages editor Danny Gittings, Beijing correspondent Jasper Becker; China pages editor Willy Lam departed after his reporting had been publicly criticised by Robert Kuok . Gittings complained that he "repeatedly came under pressure to tone down coverage of politically sensitive issues". Editor - in - Chief Wang Xiangwei was criticised for his decision to reduce the paper's coverage of the death of Li Wangyang on 7 June 2012 . Wang reportedly reversed the decision to run a full story, and instead published a two - paragraph report inside the paper; other news media reported it prominently . A senior staff member who sought to understand the decision circulated the resulting email exchanges, that indicate he received a stern rebuff from Wang . Wang is mainland - born, and is a member of the Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference in Jilin; the paper has since stepped up coverage of the death and aftermath as major news stories . Reporter Paul Mooney, whose contract with the paper was not renewed in May 2012, said that the Li Wangyang story was not an isolated incident . </P>

Is there freedom of speech in hong kong