Hong Kong Journalists Association
Hong Kong's ranking on the Press Freedom Index published annually by Reporters Without Borders was 18th in 2002. Since then, a number of factors, particularly self-censorship, and high-profile incidents affecting the media have pointed to increasing erosion of journalists' ability to report the news in an objective manner. In 2011, Hong Kong Journalists Association Chairwoman Mak Yin-ting () commented on self-censorship due to growing business ties between Beijing and media owners, asserting that "Now, more than half of Hong Kong media bosses or high media management have been absorbed by the Communist government... They may consider whether reporting on some issues will affect the relationship between their bosses and the government." That year, Hong Kong's ranking on the Press Freedom Index dropped twenty places to 54th place. In a report published alongside the index, it was noted that "arrests, assaults and harassment worsened working conditions for journalists [in Hong Kong] to an extent not seen previously, a sign of a worrying change in government policy." Hong Kong's ranking in the index, which stood at 61st in 2014, gave up nine further places in the 2015 report. "Police misconduct" was cited as a factor. Journalists have complained about sensitive news stories critical of the government that they have been under undisguised pressure to change or soften. PEN Center believes that the controversy surrounding CY Leung's dealings with UGL were seriously under-reported in some media outlets. An increasing incidence of physical violence against journalists has been recorded, with the police being implicated in some of these, namely the Hong Kong Journalists Association noted that there were at least 28 attacks on journalists covering the Umbrella Revolution. All told, the incidence of censorship, political pressure to self-censor and intimidation is increasing, according to PEN American Center, International Federation of Journalists.