DATELINE: HONG KONG

The feeling of superiority makes up for the low salary: Journalism students at the annual Hong Kong Human Rights Press Awards.

Aries Poon: I want to be a journalist in Hong Kong because I find it very exciting and I don't want to be a nine to five guy. I like politics, also.

Eric Chau: I am also interested in politics and meeting people from all walks of life. I want to see the living conditions of the underprivileged. I want to see how society works.

Label Lee: I like talking to many people from all walks of life. When I was in secondary school, most of my teachers encouraged me to enroll in journalism and communications. I think I am an active person. I just can't sit still on a chair so I think journalism may be the best career for me. I love interviewing people and love learning more about them.

Knight: In ten years time, if you had your choice, what would you like to be doing?

Label Lee: I want to be a features journalist. It doesn't matter though. I love print and electronic media. I am not political enough. I don't know enough about politics, so I would rather choose human interest topics.

Eric Chau: I would like to be a politician. But at this stage I like hard news. I would like to know how to manipulate power in society and how to help the underprivileged to lead a better life.

Aries Poon: I would like to write editorials in newspapers.

Knight: What is the value of these Human Rights media awards?

Aries Poon: Encouragement , I think. Maybe it can serve as a reminder to some of the newspapers which did not participate in this award. There are some people in this industry concerned about human rights and I think this is of great value.

Eric Chau: There are not enough issues related to human rights in Chinese journalism. I think these awards remind Chinese journalists to emphasise and pay more attention to these issues.

Label Lee: These awards are a sign that Hong Kong journalists really are concerned. Maybe not many people in Hong Kong are brave enough to write about this kind of topic, but there are people here who are working for human rights.

Knight: Does this sort of journalism have a future in Hong Kong?

Aries Poon: I think the greatest enemy to Hong Kong journalism is the business factor rather than the political factor. I am not so pessimistic about the future politics of Hong Kong but the business factor is overwhelming the ethical standards of Hong Kong journalists. I don't know what will happen in the future.

Eric Chau: I am afraid that freedom of speech will be bridled in the future and the press in Hong Kong will be intimidated and not speak out in favour of the public. We can encourage them to speak more and be concerned more about the sensitive issues

Label Lee: Maybe the future is not so good. But we chose this subject and I think we are brave enough to work for a better way, maybe to change the situation a bit.

Knight: What do your parents think about your decision to study journalism?

(Laughter)

Aries Poon: Actually they don't like me studying this subject. They find it very dangerous. They have experienced the Cultural Revolution and so they find the Communist Party perhaps not so kind. But I still want to go ahead because I find this is so pessimistic.

Label Lee: They think that being a journalist, you earn less money, you work very hard until late at night, you will become very exhausted. But I still go ahead because the job is more exciting than the nine to five and I can see a lot of things which I can tell my parents, my friends and my classmates, "Hah, what I have seen!"

Eric Chau: My parents support my decision because they think this kind of job is right for me. They didn't say it was dangerous. I don't think they are worried. 

Alan Knight