The Association of Overseas Hong Kong Media Professionals (AOHKMP), an association of media professionals who worked in Hong Kong or have been associated with the Hong Kong media and are now located overseas, released a report on the growing exodus of Hong Kong journalists and the challenges faced by this community.
Survey researchers conducted over 100 interviews with exiled journalists from Hong Kong in Australia, Britain, Canada, Taiwan, and the United States. The organization estimates that the number of journalists who have fled the crackdown on freedom of expression and the press in Hong Kong number in the hundreds and that more are leaving.
Key findings include:
- Over one-third of interviewees had over 21 years of experience in the industry. The overwhelming majority do not plan to return to Hong Kong in the near future. Despite facing problems in their new homes, over 80 percent expressed no regret over their decision to leave.
- Over half the respondents are not working in the media any longer. However, two-thirds of this group would like to return to media work. Many respondents have no plan to return to media work as they are suffering from burnout and in other cases trauma as a result of their experience in Hong Kong.
Joseph Ngan, Chair of the AOHKMP, said “Overall, this survey paints a picture of an exiled media community facing multiple challenges combined with a motivation to maintain the tradition of a free Hong Kong media, albeit in exile.”
For More:
Download the Report
