A political economist, he researches Hong Kong and Singapore and their relations with China. GJ: How has the role of the media changed in Hong Kong over the last 5 to 10 years? Stephen Ortmann: The media freedom has declined in recent years dramatically… This is a challenge that’s indirect, it’s not directly through a censorship mechanism. But there are changes in the editors, firing critical journalists and pundits, and in the ownership of prominent media organizations. Right now the South China Morning Post, the most prominent English language paper here, is changing its ownership to.[Mainland Chinese businessman] Jack Ma. The reporting it’s definitely moving towards a more pro-Chinese perspective, and this has been consistently going on over the last decade.