Guangdong Radio and Television has strongly condemned the treatment by some Hong Kong media of its journalist after she was blocked and questioned about her journalist's credentials by Hong Kong reporters after a police press conference on Tuesday in Hong Kong.
The television station said on Tuesday evening that Chen Xiaoqian is the chief journalist of its Hong Kong sub-station and is a registered journalist with China's State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television.
It also called for relevant parties in Hong Kong to take effective measures to protect the rights and interests of journalists and create a fair, safe and stable atmosphere for interviews.
The announcement came after more than 20 Hong Kong reporters blocked Chen and forced her to show her journalist's accreditation as they suspected her of being a police officer.
Chen recorded the press conference featuring police addressing the media. A journalist with the Hong Kong-based media outlet Apple Daily, which is known for its support of violent Hong Kong protesters, then asked Chen why she shot the clips and requested her to show her journalist's certificate.
Chen said in a video recorded on-site that police had checked her identity and Hong Kong reporters were not authorized to doublecheck her credentials.
Actually, Hong Kong police had issued interview notices to relevant media organizations before the conference, and journalists were required to register to verify their credentials before entering the conference hall.
The video shows that Chen showed her name card after Hong Kong journalists questioned her.
"We are all journalists and have the right to interviews. The police allowing me to enter the conference proved my identity is legal. Why should the Apple Daily reporter question my right to interview? What right do they have to investigate my accreditation?" an angry Chen told the Global Times.
Chen said she had been following the Hong Kong situation since she came to Hong Kong in March and it was the third time she had attended a police press conference.
To report on the conference objectively and truthfully is the professional integrity that every journalist should have, Chen noted.
After the incident, protesters on social media chat groups posted Chen's previous reports about Hong Kong, also her personal LinkedIn page, contact information and on-camera pictures.
During recent reporting in Hong Kong, some journalists from the Chinese mainland were harassed, discriminated against and even treated violently. A reporter with Hong Kong China News Agency was forced to delete photos during interviews; and Fu Guohao, a journalist with the Global Times, was illegally seized and brutally assaulted by rioters at the Hong Kong International Airport on August 13.
