Letter purportedly from journalists' union slams Apple Daily after report on strangers tailing paper's founder
蘋果日報 2020/06/20 08:32
Apple Daily on Thursday received a forged letter sent in the name of the Hong Kong Journalists Association condemning its reporters for threatening fellow media workers and damaging press freedom.
The letter was copied to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data and a little-known company called Kingsman Media Company, whose Chinese name is "Truth Media."
Earlier on Thursday, Apple Daily reported that about 10 strangers had been tailing the company founder, Jimmy Lai, around the clock in a seemingly organized operation since Tuesday. When confronted by Apple Daily reporters, one of the men claimed he was a reporter working for Truth Media.
The association, which is the largest journalists' group in Hong Kong, issued a statement on Thursday night denouncing the act of forgery and clarifying that it had not sent any letter to any of the city's media organizations that day.
Association chairperson Chris Yeung said they had no clue as to who might have faked the letter. They were considering legal action and might report the case to the police as it concerned a possible criminal offence, he added.
In the bogus letter, addressed to Apple Daily's editor-in-chief, the newspaper’s reporters are accused of trying to threaten Truth Media reporters by asking one of them to show his press pass and publishing a picture of his press credentials. The letter also claims Apple Daily reporters visited the office of Truth Media and caused a nuisance. The letter urges the privacy commissioner to look into the matter.
Apple Daily, in response, said its reporters were merely trying to verify the identities of the men who shadowed Lai. The reporters were also checking to see whether Truth Media was a genuine media outlet when they visited the office and had never tried to threaten anyone in the course of reporting, the newspaper said.
Business registration records show Kingsman Media Company's office is located in a flat used as a serviced office in Tsim Sha Tsui. Apple Daily reporters found no company signboard during their visit.
According to publicly available information, Kingsman Media Company does not own any media outlets.
The letter was copied to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data and a little-known company called Kingsman Media Company, whose Chinese name is "Truth Media."
Earlier on Thursday, Apple Daily reported that about 10 strangers had been tailing the company founder, Jimmy Lai, around the clock in a seemingly organized operation since Tuesday. When confronted by Apple Daily reporters, one of the men claimed he was a reporter working for Truth Media.
The association, which is the largest journalists' group in Hong Kong, issued a statement on Thursday night denouncing the act of forgery and clarifying that it had not sent any letter to any of the city's media organizations that day.
Association chairperson Chris Yeung said they had no clue as to who might have faked the letter. They were considering legal action and might report the case to the police as it concerned a possible criminal offence, he added.
In the bogus letter, addressed to Apple Daily's editor-in-chief, the newspaper’s reporters are accused of trying to threaten Truth Media reporters by asking one of them to show his press pass and publishing a picture of his press credentials. The letter also claims Apple Daily reporters visited the office of Truth Media and caused a nuisance. The letter urges the privacy commissioner to look into the matter.
Apple Daily, in response, said its reporters were merely trying to verify the identities of the men who shadowed Lai. The reporters were also checking to see whether Truth Media was a genuine media outlet when they visited the office and had never tried to threaten anyone in the course of reporting, the newspaper said.
Business registration records show Kingsman Media Company's office is located in a flat used as a serviced office in Tsim Sha Tsui. Apple Daily reporters found no company signboard during their visit.
According to publicly available information, Kingsman Media Company does not own any media outlets.
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