Hong Kong public broadcaster told it must support Chinese government

Public broadcaster Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) has reportedly been told by the government it must support Hong Kong and Chinese interests, including the Beijing national security law that has been used to silence pro-democracy voices in the city. 

RTHK was issued a document on Wednesday detailing new policies, procedures and editorial standards it must abide by, Reuters reported. 

The document says, “under no circumstances should our programmes provide a platform to encourage, incite, promote, glorify, endorse or sympathise with any act or activity endangering national security or otherwise contain any contents which are contrary to the interests of national security.”

The outlet said the document said it could not run any programs that cause resentment towards the Chinese and Hong Kong governments. 

Employees told Reuters they are concerned about the new rule, saying they don’t believe they will be allowed to produce any programs of which the government doesn’t approve. 

RTHK came under heavy criticism from the government for how it covered the anti-government and pro-democracy protests in 2019.

The “document seeks to assist RTHK staff and its service providers to acquire a thorough and comprehensive understanding of RTHK’s editorial policies and guiding principles,” the outlet told Reuters. 

In a press release, the outlet says it “would enable RTHK to better fulfill its public purposes and mission as a public service broadcaster, and its responsibilities as a government department.”

The document represents the latest in a media crackdown in Hong Kong since the Chinese national security law went into place, with authorities shutting down the largest pro-democracy news outlet in the city, Apple Daily, earlier this year.