張華: 新聞自由的危急存亡之秋 公仔箱論壇 d; C* r) Z2 u0 n
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胡錦濤訪港三天，竟是香港新聞史上最黑暗的三天。一名《蘋果日報》記者因為向十多米外的胡錦濤高聲提問六四問題，竟被警員帶走問話十五分鐘，原因是他「太大聲」、「影響秩序」及「違規」。公仔箱論壇1 H* V. J/ c! c5 M, v
5 p" C8 x; j; m" y9 ctvb now,tvbnow,bttvb原600字篇幅 變100字簡訊5.39.217.768 B) u' Y+ C" E0 `3 V- O# ?
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Alex Price於報道見報日、即本月7日晚發電郵給王向偉，表示不少人奇怪為何有關報道簡單處理，希望王解釋。王向偉3分鐘後回覆稱，「決定是我下的」（ I made that decision） 。Alex再發電郵，關注事件是否有「自我審查之嫌」，王反駁「沒必要向你解釋」，更表明「若你不喜歡，你應該知道怎樣做」( If youdon't like it, you know what to do）。公仔箱論壇, H, S- W3 v2 W% J _
Q, G/ l! L( F* X9 Xtvb now,tvbnow,bttvbAlex Price: Hi Xiangwei ... A lot of people are wondering why we nibbed the Li Wangyang story last night. It does seem rather odd. Any chance you can shed some light on the matter? / O4 x9 I9 g# A7 `7 cTVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。& [! a3 ^: E8 D3 a7 o1 X" X7 ~
王向偉: I made that decision. 7 Z3 K" r3 l# S! F% m# `- DTVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。 9 \& S7 T" P' ~ s7 ?8 Y- i5 c* F" i5.39.217.76Alex Price: Any chance you say why? It's just that to the outside world it looks an awful lot like self-censorship ...5.39.217.76/ v2 z+ y# _( m7 z; Q5 j
( X h" Y- H$ |王向偉: I don't have to explain to you anything. I made the decision and I stand by it. If you don't like it, you know what to do. 5 r, y0 I/ a' `% x9 _ R& SAlex Price: I am concerned by the intimidatory nature of your reply. A very strange editorial decision was made and everyone is wondering why. Many other news organisations splashed with the Li Wangyang story yet we reduced it to a brief. In such circumstances it is quite reasonable to ask the editor why the decision was made. Of course he may decline to say why; there could be any number of reasons, and he may well want to keep them to himself. But if the question was polite and reasonable than [then] I see no reason why the response should not be equally polite and reasonable. As it stands, I am concerned. I am now worried that anyone who wishes to raise issue with an editorial decision - no matter how much that decision appears to go against good journalism - will be told to shut up or leave. I am further concerned that my justifiable concern on this matter as a journalist may lead to the termination of my employment.tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb! _0 G( Y" n$ S. R. f# y
' G$ x! D" ]# Y. \, kTVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。I look forward to a chat where you can put my mind at rest. , a) ~- i0 u3 V$ B. K+ `- Atvb now,tvbnow,bttvb# S; m9 b+ x* [- _; p1 z, v
王向偉: I don't think my answer is anyway intimidatory and I don't know why you have formed your opinion.5 _" d- }, ?, r1 Z/ P3 K2 d
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Alex Price: Xiang Wei; A good man died for his cause and we turned it from a story into a brief. The rest of Hong Kong splashed on it. Your staff are understandably concerned by this. News is printing what someone else does not want printed.Everything else is public relations. Please explain the decision to reduce the suspicious death of Li Wangyang to a brief. I need to be able to explain it to my friends who are asking why we did it. I'm sorry but your reply of"it is my decision, if you don't like it you know what to do" is not enough in such a situation. Frankly it seems to be saying "shut up or go". The SCMP has subsequently splashed on Li Wangyang, had a focus page devoted to the matter, plus editorials, two columns by yourself and other stories. Yet on the day it counted we reduced the story to a nib.TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。6 I/ \! z0 v" w8 S' g7 S
TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。9 h: E! d) g0 c* P. K
Journalistic ethics are at stake. The credibility of the South China Morning Post is at stake. Your staff- and readers - deserve an answer.公仔箱論壇' O( Y9 [" _) {# }, F
I look forward to hearing it. ! [+ @5 M/ y& [5.39.217.76TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。4 N" t6 D; F- P, }" W) m( z9 q! E 「已成社會事件」記協議員促交代5.39.217.76+ [: B5 K7 V! O0 T( j* H$ @/ `
7 t4 Q- P- ?2 }! y6 V4 g' I樹仁大學新傳系系主任梁天偉表示，王向偉出任《南早》總編輯後，該報對牽涉內地新聞的取態明顯有變，李旺陽事件遭簡單處理，意味有關人士太接近中央，相信其說法而採取同樣口徑，某程度屬自我審查。公仔箱論壇: @( J/ G4 {6 D2 N' u! m7 C: m
公仔箱論壇3 c I( t. s* a3 a% ^ 李永達建議正式投訴2 `! g$ R0 S0 C1 \5 n: Y
$ f9 ?) E% i* I. j6 p0 D ^tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb立法會資訊科技及廣播事務委員會兩名委員劉慧卿和李永達均指事件屬政治審查，促《南早》管理層解畫，但目前立法會有大量工作須處理，今屆難在會內跟進。李永達建議有關記者向委員會正式投訴，以便跟進。5.39.217.76+ Y I& C, y. ]; I
: O. t) v+ Y& k$ ^TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。總編為吉林省政協/ c. H" p3 h6 ^7 c5 ^
* \6 o h3 q# g' L1 ]8 [7 T5 D8 WTVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。David Lague幾周後回來了。我馬上把報道提交給他，他迅速回覆說：去做啊！於是我完成了整篇報道。但是稿子在中國新聞組壓了三個月沒有發出——後來我發現這是王向偉想令一篇報道的時效性縮水時常用的手法。我寫郵件向David Lague詢問，他無奈辯解道，他已經沒有以前那麼大的職權了。《異見人士的沉默》（Silence of the Dissidents）三個月後發表了。我憑藉這篇中國新聞編輯組想斃掉的稿子拿了兩個獎。公仔箱論壇/ N& H* Y. |4 t L; B) C
0 b# `+ W- f' S- K公仔箱論壇在前總編輯和前副總編還在報社任職的時候，這兩位資深記者總是為了新聞跟王向偉先生和來自馬來西亞的報社老闆郭鶴年的女兒爭執。而老闆總是站在王向偉的那邊。有內部人士說，郭一直以來「寵愛」王向偉，因為相信他在大陸有影響力。 , ~1 {( s; d& l* @( w5.39.217.76 0 W% a2 @$ N+ k- m7 K; s7 g我不是第一個被踢出報社的外國記者。在我之前，一長串經驗豐富的外國記者被王向偉不予續聘。他就用這個辦法來扮無辜：你可不是被炒了哦，只是不被續約而已。現在已經沒有外國記者在《南華早報》中國新聞版供職了——很長時間不曾有這樣的狀況了。tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb% f9 {3 c0 v0 n4 p' u) ~3 [
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駐廣州站的記者，馬來西亞人Leu Siew Ying就是個其中的絕佳一例。2006年，她因報道年前的太石村罷免事件得過歐盟委員會的洛倫佐納塔利大獎。2007年她與王先生就是否跟進報道太石村事件發生激烈爭執，又受到來自廣州政府的壓力，最終離開了報社。TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。, v2 ~6 E0 Y, r0 S7 Z
q3 A' w+ q8 u1 u# r; m* K4 j公仔箱論壇王向偉在《南華早報》供職期間，好幾位外國編輯都曾被任命為總編輯，但他們都在與這位前《中國日報》記者兼吉林省政協委員鬥爭失敗後離職了。郭鶴年家族總是清楚地表明他們支持誰。tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb1 a" E( l) L+ d
5 {$ |6 d8 E/ M% }# k! I公仔箱論壇不過，不僅僅是外國記者受到了打擊。跟隨便哪個負責中國方面新聞的優秀的中國或者香港記者聊聊，要他們還願意說，他們都會悄悄告訴你王向偉是怎麼斃掉優秀的新聞稿件，卻告訴他們多寫些「正面」報道。 . f" {( ]: x& S4 D- btvb now,tvbnow,bttvb公仔箱論壇& W) s- l0 ~6 w& J7 X) b
有趣的是，竟是一篇好不容易才獲刊載的披露李旺陽之死的報道，最終把王向偉暴露在公眾審視之下。tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb; L- p3 f2 X4 G- U6 V
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當一位編輯詢問《南華早報》對此事的報道篇幅相對於其他港媒是不是太短，王向偉直接叫他閉嘴。「我不需要向你解釋任何事情。我做了這個決定而且我堅持。如果你不喜歡，你知道該怎麼做。」' l1 O% \2 x3 c
P5 r6 X: y2 F$ R% s' ?9 A公仔箱論壇這條新聞獲得國際矚目後，王向偉屬下記者聯署了一封質詢信要求解釋。焦慮的王向偉回應道，他之所以在事件發生後第一天只用很小的篇幅報道此事，是因為他覺得《南華早報》還沒有充足的事實來支撐一篇大的報道。5.39.217.762 r8 A8 d# s w1 K
- V. r5 \. R8 O/ k$ X0 H( r公仔箱論壇但王向偉沒有說出來的是，本來報社準備了一篇更長、更充實的稿件來報道李旺陽之死，但他卻臨時抽掉稿件，把它換成了一篇小小的概要，而在空出來的版面上，放上關於台灣前總統李登輝與大學生交流的報道——這是兩天前已報導過的「舊聞」了。 5 ?3 w4 ~2 x3 m. e3 Wtvb now,tvbnow,bttvbtvb now,tvbnow,bttvb& k4 R8 J8 X4 I- m& t3 k) ]$ ^
很少人注意到的是，《南早》的問題不僅是自我審查。更令人擔心的，或許是《南早》在王向偉管理下出現的新傾向——開始刊載反映中國政府觀點的曖昧報道。. L' m$ [( M1 X9 B0 _) g+ C
! r- |' m( S' Z; u' r7 tSelf-censorship in SCMPtvb now,tvbnow,bttvb) ]+ O& K @; P O
Paul MooneyTVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。1 e1 g( ~/ I8 a! J+ n- p* ?
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On April 22, Wang Xiangwei, the new editor-in-chief of the South China Morning Post, informed me that my contract with the newspaper would not be renewed when it expired on May 21. I can't say I was surprised. & `% l2 O; I, A5.39.217.76 7 m0 ~+ X1 B' i5.39.217.76Sitting in a hotel restaurant in Hong Kong on a hot April day, Wang stared down at the table as the conversation began,seemingly unwilling to make eye contact. After a few minutes of chit chat, I asked him directly about my contract. He fidgeted and said he would not be able to renew it due to budget problems. 0 U: _5 P- G( o7 [0 R公仔箱論壇 5.39.217.76 A9 G6 W, e1 N- d/ j: z4 j. S
To me it was clear that this was a political decision. For seven months, he had basically blocked me from writing any China stories for the newspaper. During that period, I only had two stories in the China pages of the newspaper–one on panda bears and one on compensation for AIDS victims. Some two dozen other story suggestions went unanswered by the China Desk–in one case a story was approved, but the editor told me Wang had overruled him. A half-dozen emails to Wang pleading to write more for the newspaper went unanswered.; D {# ]. f% ]! b+ n3 L& D
$ }0 b+ }+ D1 R2 b: PIt certainly was not about money. Following my departure,Wang hired a spate of new young reporters, many apparently from the mainland.And if there were budget problems, why was I chosen to be let go? Obviously,there were newer people at the newspaper than myself. I had been on contract for two years, and wrote my first article for the newspaper in 1990, some 22years ago. And I'd won 10 awards for my reporting for the newspaper, more than any other staff reporter. + m" t. \! I% x3 H; x. u5.39.217.76 ) w. R) v; I" x7 R
When I offered to freelance and said I didn't care about the word rate, he hemmed and hawed. When I asked if the newspaper could at least allow me to keep my journalist accreditation with the South China Morning Post,so I could continue to contribute articles to the newspaper, he muttered something about having to think about it. Despite several emails asking about this, he never agreed to do this. And there was no cost in sponsoring me.TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。' Y8 @* N9 R+ T( I; A
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When the news came last year that Wang had been appointed the editor-in-chief, I was quite surprised. For one, despite talk of him being a veteran journalist, he had little actual practical experience doing real journalism–far less than a lot of his staff. Wang had worked for the China Daily, done a masters degree in journalism and had gone off to London on a training program, where he worked briefly for the BBC. As far as I know,he never “pounded the sidewalks,” as we American journalists say of a reporter who has spent years roaming around doing interviews.5.39.217.76+ q1 G$ a% X. q7 L, n* r' J. Y
$ R1 ^3 ?- @0 ~' X7 k* e7 nHe'd shown weakness in news judgement on many occasions, but more important, he'd long had a reputation as being a censor of the news, which may be what endeared him to Mr. Robert Kuok, the Malaysian tycoon who owns the newspaper, and his son and daughter, who took turns running the newspaper. 0 K; c+ I+ _ j 6 ]7 R* B& f; K4 H9 S4 ^公仔箱論壇Talk to anyone on the China reporting team at the South China Morning Post and they'll tell you a story about how Wang has cut their stories, or asked them to do an uninteresting story that was favorable to China. % x S5 y% f, t, ]5 [& t1 T 8 M/ T* a) j' j公仔箱論壇Last November, I traveled to the US on holiday and decided to take a train to meet Geng He, the wife of rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng, who had snuck past Chinese security guarding their Beijing home with a young son and daughter, making it all the way to Thailand and eventually political asylum in the US.公仔箱論壇# r2 f; }8 d" E# S
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During a three-hour interview in a highway Burger King, Ms.Geng gave me unreported details about the harrowing escape through Southeast Asian jungles, much of it in the middle of the night. She cried as she talked about her husband's treatment by brutal security people, and she smiled when she recalled her husband's dedication as a lawyer. Tears fell as she described the difficulties the family was facing in the US.Both children had been seriously affected by the treatment of their father herein China, which included serious torture and forced disappearances for lengthy periods.公仔箱論壇" g' |; n3 t) j4 g
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An editor expressed interest in the story, but got back tome later in the day to tell me that Wang had spiked it. No reason was given.TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。. `6 L4 S" A/ k
4 T& {0 j% R5 fWhen I was the second foreign reporter to see Gao during his brief respite from being disappeared, Editor-in-chief Reg Chua and Deputy Editor David Lague had a bitter argument with Wang, who was not keen to run the story. They wanted it on the front page, but Wang wanted it buried inside. They compromised by putting the story inside and cutting it slightly. Gao Zhisheng was obviously on Wang's list of people not to be reported about. ! n/ N$ X! O. I( d5 ^7 J0 L5 Etvb now,tvbnow,bttvb ( C8 D3 w4 O- C8 \1 b/ x4 C公仔箱論壇When the government began its nasty crackdown against rights lawyers and other dissidents last year, that saw people have black hoods thrown over their heads before being stuffed into a car, and then being taken to hidden location, where most endured horrible torture. I saw an unprecedented pattern of intimidation and pain that clearly marked a new and frightening trend and so I suggested a story to the China Desk (David Lague, the deputy editor, was on holiday at the time). The story was immediately rejected by a China Desk editor, who said the newspaper had reported on tortured lawyers already. I wrote a short note saying this was a new and different trend, but I knew it would go unanswered. # s# U% |; t) x ^ `' rtvb now,tvbnow,bttvb tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb" ?8 T$ c8 ~* T* r; [- I2 Y
When David Lague returned weeks later, I submitted the story to him and he immediately said to go ahead. I finished the story, but it sat on China Desk for about three months, a practice I later learned was not uncommon when Wang wanted to let a story shrink in importance. When I wrote to David Lague, he pleaded he no longer had the authority he used to have. Silence of the Dissidents ran three months later, and I went on to win two awards for the story the China Desk tried to kill. : Y4 ^9 f+ ]6 |9 `: ?( Y( F, Wtvb now,tvbnow,bttvb 2 q# d5 x/ Z" u7 M& z) j
During their time at the newspaper, the two veteran journalists frequently battled fiercely with Mr. Wang over stories, with the daughter of Mr. Robert Kuok, the Malaysian owner of the newspaper, frequently siding with Wang. Insiders say the Kuoks long coddled Wang, believing he had influence in China. : v& A9 ?1 |. D7 S8 I) `TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。 - J9 k' s8 Y& L' Y( _0 V6 DTVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。Nor was I the only foreign reporter to be pushed out of the newspaper–I follow a long line of foreigners–each with long experience–who saw their contracts allowed to run out by Wang–this way he could plead innocence:You've not been fired, your contract ran out. There are now no foreign reporters working for the South China Morning Post in China–a first in a long while.5.39.217.76$ `( O% c. {4 ]1 W3 e/ k
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One good example is the case of former Guangzhou correspondent Leu Siew Ying, a native of Malaysia,who won the European Commission's Lorenzo Natali Grand Prize in 2006 for her reporting on protests in the village of Taishi the previous year. Sheleft the paper in 2007 after disputes with Mr. Wang about following up on Taishi and pressure from the Guangdong authorities.TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。* r& @) \6 }) v, W
0 |6 g/ Z' [" _, J4 s5.39.217.76During Wang's time with the newspaper, several foreign editors were offered the job of editor-in-chief, but most left after fighting a losing battle with the former China Daily reporter and member of the Jinlin Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. The Kuoks always made it clear where their loyalties lay. 8 b) o" J! V2 m% o! v* V2 T5 l公仔箱論壇 1 i8 n- o$ l4 m8 r HTVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。But this is not just a case of foreign reporters being harassed. Talk to just about any one of the excellent Chinese or Hong Kong reporters writing about China for the newspaper, and, if they're willing to talk, they'll quietly tell about Wang spiking perfectly good stories or of being told to write more “positive” articles.) s$ W" F2 N" s* v) u5 Y! r7 M
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It's interesting that the story that finally exposed Wang was one about the mysterious death of June 4 activist Li Wangyang, which barely got coverage in the newspaper.tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb5 g6 u8 _( w1 N8 x
; p/ {4 E4 r$ B; \) J* d6 utvb now,tvbnow,bttvbAfter a sub on the desk questioned this gap in the newspaper's reporting, about a story that other Hong Kong media had jumped on eagerly, Wang curtly told the sub off. “I don't have to explain to you anything. I made the decision and I stand by it. If you don't like it, you know what to do.” * }+ u/ w- W6 l! o! j$ M# @tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb* Q. C+ T, g" `: Y$ Q8 Y
When the news gained international attention, and his own reporters signed a letter asking for an explanation, a worried Wang responded with a statement to staff that he decided to run the story as a brief on the first day because he felt the newspaper didn't have enough hard facts for a full story. . s: w3 d% P# {2 H( |* [tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb ' o$ X6 `7 X& ]$ X+ {! ?But what Wang failed to say was that the newspaper had in fact run a much longer story on Li's death in its first edition and that Wang had chosen to yank it, shave it down to a brief for the next edition, and replace it with an article about former Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui and a conversation he had with a group of students–a story that had already run two days earlier. What few have noticed, is that self-censorship is not the only problem. Possibly more worrying is the newspaper's new-found proclivity under Wang to publish dubious stories that reflect Beijing's views.3 m7 `: J' N. W. O9 _/ I4 b
) ]% g, F$ n7 K. }6 A, y# }5 X5.39.217.76Earlier this year, deputy editor Tammy Tam gushed like a high school girl in a story about the Chinese Panchen Lama, asking only one serious question of a person who has never appeared in the Western media before. Eric X. Li, a well-known apologist for China,has been writing regular columns for the South China Morning Post. In one recent article he slapped Hong Kong citizens on the wrist for not welcoming mainland women to have their babies in the territory,and then wondering aloud if a people like this deserved the right to vote. Last week came a story by Professor Jiang Shigong, deputy director of Peking University's Centre for Hong Kong and Macau Studies, that claimed “Hongkongers accept Beijing's rule.”. t: I( ^* S( _ `4 v1 ]3 H
TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。- A3 J6 O. g ?" `
In his own weekly commentary, Wang had egg on his face after predicting that disgraced Chongqing party secretary Bo Xilai had escaped any serious trouble. “Firstly, Bo's political career looks safe for now and he has apparently managed to push back the pressure from his opponents within the party,” Wang wrote just before Bo fell hard.* E# q+ _( y7 X6 c8 u' b ^
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Another article described Tibetans in Lhasa happily celebrating the Tibetan New Year, with quotes coming from one unidentified “middle-aged Tibetan man.” Meanwhile, more objective reports were reporting a dire situation in the Tibetan area. The article read like a China Daily story. % `9 h4 f3 D/ Q% ?' n公仔箱論壇 - L$ e6 ?) _0 ftvb now,tvbnow,bttvbWhile the South China Morning Post continues to publish good critical reportage on China, the newspaper no longer has the status it had in the late 1990s, or more recently under three years direction under Mr. Chua and Lague, when the newspaper made great advances.tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb5 k- @$ M e7 d# q8 y. J% |( W+ R
; ?) M% [& n" _5 M5.39.217.76Under Wang's stewardship, the newspaper has lost credibility with Hong Kong and international readers and is now often the butt of jokes in the local Chinese media there. Sadly, the South China Morning Post, which has a history of more than 100 years, may be beyond the point of return. With credibility and morale at the newspaper sagging, and controversies on the rise, competent journalists will now be reluctant to join the newspaper, and it can only sink deeper into mediocrity. The prospects for English-language journalism in Hong Kong is not good and this is sad.
