AGM President’s Report 2024

President’s Report

May 2024

Twelve months ago, I made a pledge to lead with pragmatism. To engage in the issues, to make our substantial voice count, while also securing the long-term future of the FCC.

I believe that this board has delivered on that mission.

In my first message to members as your president, I nailed my colours to the mast, laying out six priorities that I aimed to accomplish this board year. This evening, I will provide an update on what we have achieved, and what remains to be done.

First on the list was the resumption of issuing press freedom statements after a prolonged silence. Having put in place new guidelines to codify and formalise the process, this board has delivered on that commitment, issuing nine press freedom statements in the last 12 months, including the FCC’s submission to the Security Bureau on the Consultation Document of Article 23 of the Basic Law. The club also hasn’t shied away from hosting discussions on potentially provocative topics, bringing newsmakers into the FCC to speak with journalists and debate the issues of the day. In the last 12 months, we have hosted talks on the District Council reforms, the National Security Law and Article 23 among others. The second pledge was to secure a new permanent GM, which of course we have accomplished, with the appointment of David Brightling in January. The Board of Governors appointed David after an exhaustive five-month search. Aided by an executive search firm with expertise in clubs, more than 200 candidates were identified for the role, 23 candidates were longlisted and seven shortlisted and interviewed. The competition was strong—a testament to the allure of working at the FCC—but the board was totally aligned that David is the right person to lead the club. In his four months at the FCC, David is already validating that assessment. Third was to build on last year’s training stream for early-career journalists and work towards bringing more young C&J members into the club. In the last year we have hosted six subsidised workshops programmed to appeal to early-career journalists and have hosted two open-house evenings for young journalists. Both initiatives provide a forum for young non-member reporters to walk through our door, ask questions and start to build a relationship with the FCC. Our demographics reflect the progress being made: our average age is declining and our gender balance improving. Still, there is more work to be done on both fronts. Fourth: to bring back the FCC’s Journalism Conference after a five-year hiatus. World-class speakers and more than 130 people attended our conference on May 4. Taking place under the theme ‘Let’s Get to Work’, programming focussed on helping attendees add to their skill sets and learn to master the tools they need to be a journalist in 2024. To demonstrate our commitment to support journalists and facilitate journalism of the highest standard, we made this year’s conference free for all to attend. Fifth: Develop more community outreach initiatives, potentially through the reinstatement of the then-dormant Charity Committee. We did indeed reinstate the Charity Committee. Under the leadership of Morgan Davis, the FCC’s new first vice president, the committee has been busy seeking the opinion of leading voices in Hong Kong’s charitable community to find out where the FCC can do the most good. Look out for the launch of the committee’s inaugural initiative in the coming weeks. My final pledge was to make diversity a priority at FCC speaking events. This board year, we have started to track gender representation at FCC talks. Since we started tracking, 59% of our speakers have been male and 41% female. There is still work to be done to achieve parity, but we have made important progress towards that goal in the last year.

In addition to these six stated priorities, your board of governors has been working tirelessly behind the scenes in service of our club. Some of these endeavours are very visible—the scaffolding currently around this building is a clear testament to the work of the Building Committee and the effort they have put in behind the scenes to secure the right project managers and contractors for the 5.9-million-dollar renovation work to maintain our heritage building and fulfil our duty as tenants ahead of the lease renewal negotiations.

Some are less visible, such as our efforts to tighten our corporate governance in order to minimise our exposure and potential risk to so-called bureaucratic bullying, as well as our work to build channels of communication with relevant government departments. They may be less visible but they are, nonetheless, just as vital to securing the future of the FCC.

We’ve also been working tirelessly in support of our mission as a press club. From filing a written opinion in support of HKJA’s submission as an interested party in the injunction to ban the song Glory to Hong Kong at the very beginning of the board year, to the bold banner we placed on our website for World Press Freedom Day just a few weeks ago, throughout this board year we have been delivering on the FCC’s mission to defend press freedom at home and abroad, to support journalists and to promote and facilitate journalism of the highest standard.

Put simply, in the last 12 months the FCC has got its groove back. As a result we have seen greater participation in committees and club life. Last year, for the first time in our 80-year history we did not have enough candidates running for Correspondent Governor, resulting in an unprecedented by-election. This time around, we just had our healthiest, most contested hustings for years. I believe this is a clear endorsement of the direction the club has been taking and a reflection of the newfound vibrancy and optimism within these historic walls.

In the coming year, my pledge to you today is simple—more of the same. We will build on what we have accomplished and face the challenges ahead with a renewed sense of confidence and clarity.

Let’s not kid ourselves. This coming year will likely bring even greater challenges as Hong Kong’s political landscape continues to shift and the space for independent organisations such as the FCC contracts.

Nevertheless, I remain confident that together, with unity, grit and determination, we can overcome any challenges that arise and that 12 months from now, when we reconvene in this room, I will be able to report that our club, once again, is stronger than ever. Thank you.