Veteran Hong Kong journalists to launch new media outlet with Taiwan branch

Taipei, Aug. 2 (CNA) Several veteran Hong Kong journalists based outside the Chinese territory announced plans Friday to launch a media outlet that will focus on Hong Kong news and have a branch in Taiwan.

"I personally believe that Hongkongers still need a news platform that can speak for them from a Hong Kong perspective," said Edward Li (李家聰), one of the founders of the PULSE HK outlet, at a news conference in Taipei.

Li, a journalist with more than 20 years experience working at Hong Kong news outlets such as the now-defunct Apple Daily, noted that the city's ranking in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index had fallen to 140th.

The low ranking in recent years reflects the continued erosion of press freedom under Beijing's tightened grip, said Lee, who also worked with the U.S. government-funded Radio Free Asia (RFA) -- now disbanded -- after moving to Taiwan in the wake of Apple Daily's forced closure in 2021.

Amid such conditions, Li said, he is incentivized to remain in the field of journalism and continue reporting on Hong Kong.

Also speaking at the press conference, Shirley Leung (梁嘉麗), a former Apple Daily journalist and founder of Photon Media, noted that in recent years, a number of Hong Kong-focused "diaspora media" outlets have emerged across the globe.

"But we feel truly alone, and the road ahead often seems endless," she said.

Leung founded Photon Media in Taiwan in 2023 to continue covering Hong Kong, after many mainstream news outlets in the city shut down and those that remained avoided reporting stories critical of the government in the wake of the Hong Kong national security law that was introduced in June 2020.

To break that trend and amplify the collective voices of the media, Leung said, she and Li came up with the idea of launching PULSE HK, "a new international media platform."

The platform will merge two existing overseas Hong Kong media outlets -- the Taiwan-based Photon Media and the U.K.-based The Chaser News -- bringing together their teams and resources to expand coverage of Hong Kong and China, according to Li.

Several other veteran Hong Kong journalists will also join the team of about 16 to 18 members, including one of the co-founders Wu Lik Hon (胡力漢), former head of the China Desk at i-Cable News in Hong Kong and the Cantonese Service at RFA, Li said.

PULSE HK plans to launch a crowdfunding campaign with a goal of raising HK$4 million (US$509,593) in the first year, he said.

The launch date will depend on the progress of the fundraising, Li said, setting September as the earliest date.

After the launch, PULSE HK branches will be established in Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and North America, according to a news release issued by the team.

The platform will feature three editorial desks, with the Hong Kong desk focused on developments in the city, the China desk led by seasoned journalists producing in-depth investigative reports on China, and the English desk aimed at helping the international community better understand the situation in Hong Kong, the team said.