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New Monthly Subscription Fees from 2025

New Monthly Subscription Fees from 2025
      
Dear Members,
I’m writing to inform you that the Board of Governors has voted to increase the monthly subscriptions for all categories of membership, effective from February 1, 2025.

Subscription fees for accounts with only one card will increase by HK$75 to HK$1,375 per month. Monthly subs for accounts with a spouse member will increase by HK$100 to HK$1,400 per month.

The quarterly minimum spend for accounts with a spouse member will also increase by HK$100, to HK$1,000 per quarter, effective from Q1 2025 (January 1 to March 31). The minimum spend for accounts with only one card will remain unchanged. All joining fees will also remain unchanged. These fee adjustments apply to all categories of membership.
This fee adjustment is in line with the Board’s commitment to review monthly subs on an annual basis to ensure that our fees keep up with inflation and remain competitive, which was communicated this time last year.
The decision to create a small fee distinction between members with only one card and those with a spouse member reflects the additional value—two for the price of one—that members with a spouse card registered to their account enjoy, while making every effort to keep subscription fee increases to a minimum.
I’m proud that the FCC remains one of the best value clubs in the city—even with this latest amendment to our fees—but we must balance value for members with the long-term financial health of the club.
One way that we can all help to increase club revenue is to recruit more members. If you’re successful in referring any new member to the club, the HK$2,000 in club credit that you will receive for recruiting a new member will more than pay for this increase in subs fees—the definition of a win-win!
Our Family Promotion, which offers a 33 percent discount on the joining fee to any family member you introduce to the club, will close on December 31.
On behalf of the Board, I wish you a happy and peaceful festive season.
Yours faithfully,
Lee Williamson
President
[email protected]

The Foreign Correspondents’ Club Awards Clare Hollingworth Fellowships 2024

The Foreign Correspondents’ Club Awards
Clare Hollingworth Fellowships
 
 
FELLOWS
 
Kriti Gandhi
Kriti Gandhi is a freelance journalist and recent graduate of The University of Hong Kong, holding a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Marketing. She has worked with CNN and NBC News in the past and is currently a freelance associate video producer at the South China Morning Post.
 
Jay Ganglani
Jay Ganglani is a Hong Kong-based journalist with a passion for covering the city’s ethnic minority communities. His work has appeared in NBC News, Asia Sentinel, and the Standard. He holds a Master of Journalism degree from HKU.
 
The Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Hong Kong is pleased to announce that it has chosen Kriti Gandhi and Jay Ganglani as recipients of the sixth annual Clare Hollingworth Fellowship, named in honor of the preeminent and path-breaking journalist.
 
The panel of judges noted the winners offer clear potential as future leaders both within the FCC and in the wider Hong Kong journalism community.
 
The Fellowship is focused on early-career journalists and current journalism school students in Hong Kong.
 
The open competition drew significant interest from a cross spectrum of applicants. The adjudicators noted the high standard of applicants and encouraged all to apply again next year.
 
For further information on the Clare Hollingworth Fellowship, please visit https://www.fcchk.org/fcc-clare-hollingworth-fellowship-2024-2025-applications-open/
 
 
 
 

FCC Statement on Journalists and the One-Year Anniversary of the Israel-Hamas War

    
 
As the world marks the one-year anniversary of the Israel-Hamas war, the Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Hong Kong remembers the scores of journalists killed or injured in the ongoing conflict. The FCC calls on all parties to protect the journalists who are covering the war with great courage and under extremely difficult conditions.
 
Of the more than 42,000 people killed since the war began, at least 128 of them were journalists and media workers, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (“CPJ”), making this the deadliest conflict for journalists since the group began gathering data in 1992. They include 123 Palestinians and three Lebanese, as well as two Israelis who were killed when the war began with Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel.
 
Though Israel denies targeting media workers, CPJ has concluded that at least five of the Palestinian and Lebanese journalists who were killed were directly targeted by Israeli forces in violation of international law.

The killings, along with censorship, arrests, internet disruptions, the blocking of independent media outlets from entering the Gaza Strip, the destruction of newsrooms and other media infrastructure, and the displacement of Gaza journalists and media workers, have severely hampered coverage of a war that threatens to spread across the region.

The Club expresses its deepest condolences to the colleagues and loved ones of the journalists and other innocent victims who have been killed, as well as the journalists whose families have been killed in the conflict they are covering.

The Club further calls on all parties to ensure the safety of journalists on the ground in Israel and Gaza. Journalists are civilians who should not be targeted, and their ability to freely and safely do their jobs is vital for understanding the conflict and working toward its end.

FCC statement on Cambodian journalist Mech Dara’s arrest

    
 
The Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Hong Kong is calling for the release of Mech Dara, a Cambodian investigative reporter who was arrested this week in an apparent attempt to silence one of the country’s leading journalists.
 
Dara was arrested by military police on Sept. 30 at a highway toll booth while driving with a relative to Phnom Penh. Officials initially said little about his arrest other than confirming his detention at an undisclosed location. On Tuesday, he was charged with criminal incitement over social media posts he made in September and sent to pretrial detention by a Phnom Penh court.
 
The court objected to photos Dara posted on social media showing contrasting images of quarrying activity at a revered mountain in southeastern Cambodia. Local officials denounced the post, said there was no excavation at the site, and accused him of inciting “social disorder,” which can be prosecuted under a criminal incitement statute often abused as a tool of intimidation and suppression.

Dara’s arrest follows last year’s forced closure of Cambodia’s leading independent media outlet, Voice of Democracy. Dara was a reporter for VOD, where he helped uncover the rise of cyber-scam compounds in Cambodia whose bosses often use slave labor to defraud people around the world. The reporting earned him international renown, including an award from the U.S. Department of State.

Cambodia’s use of such heavy-handed tactics to intimidate journalists and shutter news outlets has sharply curtailed independent news coverage and prompted the country to slide precipitously in global press freedom indexes. The FCC supports all reporters’ right to cover stories without fear of harassment or arrest and urges Cambodian authorities to release Dara from prison.

FCC statement on reports of journalist harassment

    
 
The Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Hong Kong is extremely concerned by reports that journalists in Hong Kong have been harassed and threatened online and offline because of their work.
 
The Hong Kong Journalists Association has reported that journalists, along with their family and associates, have been subjects of a targeted campaign of harassment in recent months. These bullying messages are illegal, and should be condemned not only for the violence they seek to inflict, but also for their threats to the freedom of the press as it is guaranteed as a fundamental right in Hong Kong.
 
We advocate for journalists’ right to continue to carry out their work unhindered, free of harassment and danger, and we stand in solidarity with all journalists in Hong Kong who seek to work and live in a safe environment.

We note that reports have been made to the authorities and ask that they urgently investigate these reported threats to ensure the safety of journalists working in the city.

(Extended) FCC Clare Hollingworth Fellowship 2024 – 2025 – Applications Open

FCC Clare Hollingworth Fellowship – Applications Open
The Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Hong Kong is accepting applications for the Clare Hollingworth Fellowship, named after the preeminent and path-breaking journalist.

Clare Hollingworth
Ms. Hollingworth had a remarkable career as a foreign correspondent with the scoop of the century as a 27-year-old when she reported on Germany’s invasion of Poland in 1939. Ms. Hollingworth was also a treasured member of the FCC for more than 40 years who made significant contributions to the intellectual and professional life of the FCC.
The Hollingworth Fellowship honours early career journalists and current journalism school students in Hong Kong. Journalists and journalism students from all fields of professional study are eligible. Applications close on October 17, 2024. The fellowship will run for one calendar November 1, 2024 – October 31, 2025.
Overview of key features of the fellowship:

  • Complimentary access to all FCC professional talks, official gatherings and conferences;
  • Unlimited access to the FCC facilities including the gym and workroom;
  • FCC monthly dues and the membership fee are waived for the fellowship period; and
  • Networking opportunities with senior newsroom leaders
For details on past fellows, please see below:

  1. Jennifer Creery and Tiffany Liang
  2. Mary Hui and Jessie Pang
  3. Hillary Leung and Amy Sood
  4. Teele Rebane, Simran Vaswani and Hayley Wong
  5. Mithil Aggarwal, Eudora Wang and Aruzhan Zeinulla
Fellows Requirements and Expectations

  • Produce and contribute a piece in their field for the FCC (e.g. long-form article for the FCC magazine, The Correspondent; photographic exhibition for the Bar, video piece for the website)
  • Assist in the organization of virtual and in-person events for journalists
  • Actively contribute to the intellectual and professional life of the FCC
Eligibility Criteria

Candidates must meet all of the following criteria to apply:

  • At least two years’ journalism experience with a proven track record of developing stories in any sector or medium. Applications are welcome from candidates from foreign news organisations as well as local news organisations in Hong Kong
  • Be 30 years of age or under at the time the fellowship begins
  • Be a resident of Hong Kong at the time of application and a resident of Hong Kong for the duration of the Fellowship
Application Process and Material

Applications must be submitted in English by October 17, 2024. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted. Only chosen candidates will be notified by writing. All files must be submitted in either PDF or MS Word format to [email protected] with the subject line
Attn: First Name / Last Name of Applicant, Clare Hollingworth Fellowship Application. Applications should include:

  • Two pieces of published work, or in the case of a journalism student, two essays of no more than 2000 words each
  • A 500-word statement of intent for the piece that the Fellow will contribute to the FCC
  • Please send via post two written references from suitable referees, e.g. senior editor or journalism school dean again with the same subject line: Attn: First Name / Last Name of Applicant, Clare Hollingworth Fellowship Application. The reference letters should be sent to The Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Hong Kong, North Block, 2 Lower Albert Road, Central, Hong Kong or emailed to [email protected]. When submitting your application, please note in the covering email that the references have been sent via post. Reference letters should specify how long the referee has known the applicant and in what capacity, comments on the applicant’s potential to make an impact in the field of journalism, and any relevant prior experience.
  • Recent resume of no more than 2 pages
  • Provide a valid HKID card number.
 

FCC statement on Stand News verdict

    
 
Today, two Hong Kong journalists have been convicted of a crime for articles they published.
 
Although sentencing is adjourned until 26 September 2024 and the defendants have been granted court bail until that date, there still remains a risk that Chung Pui-kuen and Patrick Lam might serve prison sentences for their roles in reporting, editing and publishing interviews, features and opinion pieces. Of the 17 articles the court considered, many had been taken down and only five remained active at the time of their arrest, but today the Wan Chai District Court ruled that 11 had “seditious intentions”. 
 
Chung Pui-kuen was the ex-chief editor and Patrick Lam the acting chief editor of non-profit digital news outlet Stand News, which closed down in December 2021 after it was raided by over 200 national security police officers. 

This verdict will send shockwaves through Hong Kong newsrooms, as well as international news organisations with bureaus in the city, as they seek to understand whether their day-to-day operations could be in violation of Hong Kong law. 
 
This case has long been regarded by many as a litmus test for press freedom in the city. The FCC will further assess the details of this verdict and its implications for our operations. Doubtlessly, news organisations throughout Hong Kong will be doing exactly the same.


FCC Statement on Bloomberg journalist Haze Fan’s work visa denial

    
 
The Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Hong Kong is concerned by reports that Bloomberg journalist Haze Fan has been refused a visa to work at the organisation’s Hong Kong bureau.
 
Fan, a Chinese national, is a qualified and experienced journalist who has also worked for Reuters, CBS News and CNBC in her 15-year career. According to multiple reports, Fan was detained by Chinese authorities in late 2020 and arrested in July 2021 on suspicion of committing crimes endangering national security. She was released in early 2022 without charge.
 
The FCC has reached out to the Immigration Department to ask that they improve transparency in respect of any denial of work visas in this and in other similar cases. Whilst we request an urgent review of this decision, a proper explanation for any future denial of work visas or entry into Hong Kong by journalists is a necessary improvement to the system, and would positively impact the public and international perception of Hong Kong as a business centre.
 

FCC Statement on HKJA chairperson Selina Cheng’s termination by The Wall Street Journal

    
 
The Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Hong Kong is deeply concerned by the news of Hong Kong Journalists Association chairperson Selina Cheng’s dismissal as an employee of The Wall Street Journal.
 
Ms Cheng said that senior editors at the paper asked her to withdraw from the HKJA’s recent election once they learned she was running to be the chairperson of the journalists’ union. When she refused, she said she was told that being HKJA’s chairperson would be incompatible with her job. Less than a month later, she was fired.
 
The FCC has reached out to The Wall Street Journal for comment and to ask why Ms Cheng’s employment was terminated.
 
Press freedom is enshrined in Article 27 of Hong Kong’s Basic Law, the same article that guarantees Hongkongers the right to form and join trade unions. Representing the rights of journalists, which includes defending freedom of the press, should not be controversial. The FCC fully supports The Wall Street Journal’s ongoing efforts to secure the freedom of its reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has been unjustly imprisoned in Russia for more than a year. If the editors of the Journal advocate for reporters’ rights to do their jobs without fear and intimidation in Russia, they should do the same in Hong Kong.
 
We urge The Wall Street Journal and all news organisations to respect reporters’ rights to join press clubs and to advocate for press freedom without the fear of punitive action from their own newsrooms.
 

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.

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