The 14th Consumer Rights Reporting Awards which drew a fruitive total of 247 entries from the press, television and radio, came at a time amidst a clampdown on unfair trade practices, and a scramble for basic necessity baby milk powder and luxury gold ornaments.
And, furthermore, multifarious consumer issues abounded: runaway property prices, food adulteration, questionable practices in telecom services, dubious medical beauty service, and high risk bitcoin, etc.
The 2014 awards is the second highest in its 14-year history in the number of entries, after 2008.
There were 141 print entries, 52 electronic entries of TV (39) and radio (13), and 54 photography entries. All entries were published or broadcast in the 2013 calendar year.
A total of 21 awards comprising Gold, Silver and Bronze in each of the 7 categories, and 8 merit certificates were presented to the winners in a ceremony today (July 18).
Befitting the 40th Anniversary of the Consumer Council this year, the occasion was officiated by a former Chief Executive of the Council, the then Executive Director, Ms. Ophelia Cheung, who headed the Council in its early formative years, from 1974 to 1984.
She reminisced the early years of the Council with fondness, and noted the very vast difference in the public expectations and scope of work of the Council over the past 4 decades. But one goal remained unchanged and strong is the advocacy on consumer rights in partnership with the mass media, she added.
In his welcome address, the Council's Chairman, Prof. WONG Yuk-shan, noted the myriad of channels through today's multi-media has greatly enhanced public participation on issues of community concern at speed as never before, and acknowledged the media contribution in furthering consumer rights as enormous and crucial to consumer empowerment and protection.
Print Media
The Awards was hotly contested in particular in the print media with 87 news and 54 features entries vying for the honours. The top honours, the Gold Awards, in both categories went to journalists of a same Chinese-language newspaper.
In a 3-part series, the winning top news entry, depicted in-depth an array of pitfalls ensnaring telecom consumers in dire consequences, and the absence of adequate oversight on the sector.
The top features entry was a 5-part series on the steep rise in shop rentals forcing closure of many small long-established restaurants and retail outlets, and the tactics they resorted to in order to survive their predicament.
Electronic Media
In the TV sector, the Gold Award for news entries took a hard look at the adulteration of a local popular comfort food, the beef balls, which turned out to be pork, and for features the winning entry was an expose on a hotel being put on the market for sale as residential property.
In the radio sector, the Gold Awards for news and features went, respectively, to reports of the new legislative regime for consumer protection under the amended Trade Descriptions Ordinance governing unfair trade practices, and the high risks of bitcoin emerging in Hong Kong.
Photography
In photography, the top entry captured graphically the bewilderment on the face of a flat hunter amidst clusters of Hong Kong's typically high-rise residential blocks.
The Awards, organized by the Consumer Council in association with the Hong Kong Journalists Association and the Hong Kong Press Photographers Association, has grown in scope and stature as a coveted award in recognition of journalistic enterprise and excellence.
A 10-member panel of distinguished judges drawn from the participating professional organizations and the academia in journalism as well as the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Council was given the arduous task of adjudication.
- 2014.07.18