Hong Kong journalists and their families are facing an increasing wave of harassment and threats, both online and offline, according to Selina Cheng, Chairperson of the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA). Speaking at a press conference on September 13th, Cheng revealed that incidents of harassment have become more frequent and severe in recent months.
The HKJA conducted an investigation which found that systematic harassment was most concentrated between June and August of this year. During this period, there was a significant increase in incidents towards 15 organizations, including 13 media outlets and two journalism training institutions. Notable targets included the HKJA itself, as well as Hong Kong Free Press, Inmedia, and Hong Kong Feature.
Since June, at least 15 families of journalists have received anonymous complaint emails from Microsoft Outlook accounts claiming to be from “patriots.” These messages often contained threats. Larger organizations have received formal complaints while smaller outlets have been subjected to threatening messages resembling ransom notes with the journalist’s photo attached.
Hostile posts targeting media outlets and journalists began appearing on facebook since August. These posts accused legitimate reporting as illegal or seditious. The HKJA identified at least 36 journalists from various outlets who were named in these posts.
In some cases, harassers edited or posted threatening content on Wikipedia entries related to the targeted journalists. Additionally, harassing messages were sent directly to reporters’ work or home phone numbers shortly after these posts went live.
The aim behind these acts is believed to be intimidation by disrupting sources of income or social connections for journalists and their families or associates. This pressure is intended to isolate them and force resignations from their jobs or trade union roles.
Cheng described these attacks as “coordinated and systematic,” targeting the journalistic community rather than specific individuals. The HKJA strongly condemned these intimidation tactics while reaffirming its commitment to defending press freedom.
Cheng likened the harassment campaign to a “fishing expedition,” where perpetrators move on if targets do not respond. However, victims who engaged with harassers experienced escalating levels of harassment afterward. She urged journalists not to interact with harassers but instead report incidents to the police while notifying the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD).
Although some messages referenced issues such as Taiwan’s elections or Hong Kong’s ban on Japanese seafood imports; Cheng stated that there didn’t appear any direct link between specific stories or outlets regarding this harassment campaign.
The HKJA has taken action by contacting platforms like Meta (formerly facebook) and Wikipedia regarding these incidents. Wikipedia has already banned a user who posted personal information about journalists involved in this case. Furthermore, legal action has been initiated by filing complaints with PCPD against those responsible for the harassment campaign.
Additionally concerning are reports from three victims whose luggage was searched by customs upon re-entering Hong Kong; two subsequently received threatening WhatsApp messages after arrival back home. The HKJA expressed concerns about possible government data leaks since harassers had access to personal information that should not be publicly available.
To safeguard personal information going forward; it advises journalists not share family photos online while using strong passwords with two-step verification for their accounts.
