Jimmy Lai case shows press freedom is not a get-out-of-jail-free ticket

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OpinionRonny TongJimmy Lai case shows press freedom is not a get-out-of-jail-free ticket

To ignore or condone the Jimmy Lais and Apple Dailies of the world is to encourage the hypocrisy and abuses seen in news reporting today

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Ronny TongRonny Tong, SC, was chairman of the Hong Kong Bar Association from 1999 to 2001, and was first elected a member of the Legislative Council in 2004. Published: 9:30am, 14 May 2026The death of Ted Turner, who founded CNN in 1980 as the world’s first 24-hour television news channel, is a poignant reminder of the glory days of the fourth estate. CNN made day-and-night news coverage, including at the front line of battlefields, an everyday experience for many people.

The rise of the internet and ever more channels of news delivery has enabled a global audience of news consumers, attuned to reports delivered from all around the world. This has turned the most successful news providers into some of the most powerful and influential communication tools of our time.

Such power and influence are not lost on political leaders and interest groups. Nowadays, it is hard to imagine a major news outlet not taking a side in politics or having behind it some powerful political figure. For the high-minded, this is, of course, a disappointing turn of events for the journalistic profession.

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In one of the Spider-Man films, Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben tells him: “With great power comes great responsibility.” For those in the news business, any abuse of that power not only represents a denial of responsibility but also a betrayal of journalistic values. Sadly, such cases exist.

Ironically, it is what remains of people’s respect for journalism and the noble values of the fourth estate that have given some in the news business a sense of self-importance – and a false sense of security. Many believe the press can do no wrong; some even believe the media can behave with impunity.

AdvertisementTake Jimmy Lai Chee-ying’s Apple Daily newspaper. Now defunct, Apple Daily was once a popular, if not the most popular, tabloid in Hong Kong. It attracted the attention of the authorities for its vociferous coverage of the government’s extradition bill, which was an attempt to improve and streamline the judicial process of extradition. In 2021, after 26 years, the Chinese-language newspaper’s popularity and influence came to an end. A national security crackdown led to the arrest of several Apple Daily staff members, including Lai himself. 06:28Hong Kong tabloid Apple Daily ceases operations after top executives arrested, assets frozenAdvertisementSelect VoiceSelect Speed0.8x0.9x1.0x1.1x1.2x1.5x1.75x00:0000:001.00x