One Big Thing: Is press freedom essential for Hong Kong’s democracy movement?

In the United States, freedom of the press is a human right that we often take for granted but in other parts of the world, this is not the case. China has imposed some of the most restrictive media laws and sanctions in the world on Hong Kong and its own media organizations. Earlier today, Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai was denied bail after his arrest in August 2020. He was arrested under the oppressive National Security Law which China imposed on the island democracy and has been deemed by many experts as a violation of the “One Country, Two Systems”. Before this, China has banned BBC newsrooms, legislated a suppressive campaign against independent bloggers and used state-run media to spread misinformation inside and outside China. This is why Hong Kong and China both need press freedom. It is an essential human right and a fundamental tenant of democracy.

Read more about China’s oppression of the media HERE.