#PressFreedomDay: Why HKFP needs your support in 2024

Dear readers,

On International #PressFreedomDay, the Hong Kong Free Press team remains committed to reporting, on-the-ground, in one of the world’s most challenging, and rapidly-changing media environments: https://lnkd.in/gpF9urFD

Nevertheless, our newsroom is facing a funding situation in 2024 whereby our expansion to nine team members coincided with a decline in regular Patron backers, resulting in two years of record losses. During this time, we’ve widened coverage of key court cases, deepened original reporting, launched a podcast, hired our first photographer, won several awards, and gained The Trust Project hallmark: https://lnkd.in/gQxRz4V6

HKFP now has a year to correct course financially. Having sought to make savings internally, we will soon launch a new range of advertising options to generate new income, alongside new incentives to join us an HKFP monthly donor.

We remain the city’s most financially transparent news outlet – sustained by an average of HK$203/month from 895 monthly Patrons – with 80 per cent of spending going towards paying local journalists: https://lnkd.in/g4TsAD4Q

To close the funding gap, we need to raise HK$120,000 more per month, or bring on around 1,000 new Patrons. Here are 15 ways to support our newsroom: support.hongkongfp.com

If you’ve never contributed to a newspaper before, please help keep HKFP free for those who can’t afford to donate. And you’re not in a position to support us this time, please help spread the word. Share this post today, on Press Freedom Day, to raise awareness of HKFP’s work and ways to safeguard independent media in the city.

Thank you once again for your readership and support!

Team HKFP.