RTHK to follow up with Twitter regarding 'state-affiliated media' label

Hong Kong's public broadcaster RTHK is following up with Twitter after the social media platform labelled its official account as a “state-affiliated media”.

In a conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, RTHK said it is both a government department and the only public service broadcaster in Hong Kong. The Charter of RTHK specifies the editorial independence of RTHK.

"As the public service broadcaster in Hong Kong, RTHK is to fulfill the following public purposes: sustain citizenship and civil society; provide an open platform for the free exchange of views without fear or favour; promote education and learning; and stimulate creativity and excellence to enrich the multi-cultural life of Hong Kong people," the statement read. 

A check by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE saw the official Twitter account of RTHK has been labelled to "state-affiliated media". According to Twitter, state-affiliated media is defined as outlets where “the state exercises control over editorial content through financial resources, direct or indirect political pressures, and/or control over production and distribution”.

Accounts belonging to state-affiliated media entities, their editors-in-chief, and/or their prominent staff may be labelled. The platform will also add labels to tweets that share links to state-affiliated media websites.

However, the move did not come out of the blue. Back in last November, RTHK’s new director of broadcasting Eddie Cheung said RTHK should work seamlessly with the authorities. After the 2019 social unrest, the broadcaster underwent a major revamp as the government conducted a review of its administration. Furthermore, several programmes, including the city’s oldest satirical show Headliner and The Pulse were pulled from air as their hosts moved out of Hong Kong. 

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Moreover, a producer of the documentary related to 2019 Yuen Long mob attacks, Bao Choy, was convicted of making false statements to obtain vehicle licence records for the programme, and fined HK$6,000. Choy later founded an independent media The Collective HK with veteran journalist Ken Lui in 2023. The platform is missioned to deliver in-depth reports and news analysis each week, as well as following up on issues concerning public interests. 

“This is an era when press freedom is collapsing, and it is also an era when journalists are looking for a way out,” the official statement read.

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