Nabela Qoser, a Hong Kong broadcast journalist who has become the news herself, has accepted her bosses' decision to extend her probation by 120 days as an investigation into her conduct looms, Apple Daily has learned.

Qoser, the co-host of RTHK news program This Week, is known for shooting sharp questions at government officials over their handling of last year’s protests. She was earlier given seven days to choose to accept the extension of her three-year probation as a civil servant from Oct. 2, or leave her job on Wednesday, sources told Apple Daily.

Her work arrangements had not been suspended, according to the RTHK Programme Staff Union. After news of a possible extended probation leaked, the public broadcaster received at least 13,000 emails in two days praising Qoser, sources said.

An investigation over complaints lodged against her would be launched within the 120 days, sources said. If management could not conclude the investigation during the period, they would have to apply to further prolong Qoser’s probation, for which solid reasons must be provided according to the guidelines, sources added.

Qoser declined to comment. A spokesperson for RTHK would not be drawn on personal decisions made by individual staffers.

The investigation follows Chief Executive Carrie Lam’s recent appointment of civil servant Eugune Fung as the deputy director of broadcasting at RTHK.

When asked about the incident, Lam said on Tuesday that it was a matter of personnel management in the civil service and was not for the leader of Hong Kong to interfere with. She denied having full knowledge of it and would not comment.

RTHK was a government department and should manage staff according to civil service guidelines, she added.

Lam also said that the government respected press freedom, in response to media queries about the police’s recently changed definition of media representatives that would exclude many online media, students and independent journalists from covering events inside police cordons. The new police rules would make news coverage convenient for outlets “under appropriate conditions,” with some limitations, she said.

The police had to define reporters clearly in chaotic situations, and the new measure would not suppress press freedom, Lam said. She praised the police for using “objective and open” standards of defining journalists as those who were registered with the Government News and Media Information System.

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