Stand News


Stand News is a free, not-for-profit pro-democracy online news website based in Hong Kong, founded in December 2014 as the successor of House News. It primarily focuses on social and political issues in Hong Kong.
Stand News was ranked highest in credibility among online news media in Hong Kong in two surveys conducted by the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2019 and 2016.

Background

Stand News was founded after the closure of House News in July 2014. Instead of running the website as a limited company like House News, the owner company of the website, Best Pencil Limited, is legally managed by a trust company, while prohibiting any transfer of shares.

Incidents

Legal dispute with former Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying

On 24 August, 2018, former Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying filed for defamation against university professor Chung Kim-wah and Stand News in the High Court, alleging that an article in the website associated Leung with the triads is false. The article reported a dinner between Leung’s aides and alleged triad members. Chung responded that he would not retract the article, while Stand News chief editor Chung Pui-kuen stated that he does not believe that the article defamed Leung, and also invited Leung to write an article to Stand News.

Incidents during the 2019 Hong Kong protests

During the 2019 Hong Kong protests, Stand News have become a target of the pro-Beijing camp and the Hong Kong Police Force.
On 21 July 2019, in the Yuen Long attack, reporter Gwyneth Ho was attacked during her live-stream report by triad members against the protesters. When the attackers were attacking commuters in the train station, some members turned to attack Ho. She was knocked over and hit by sticks and wooden batons while she continued filming. The news website later reported that she was taken to the hospital for treatment and received stitches.
In 20 December 2019, there was a shooting incident in Jade Plaza in Tai Po. During the reporting of the incident, a policeman hit a Stand News reporter's hands and mobile phone six times with a baton. A few other reporters were attacked by police using pepper spray. Hong Kong Journalists Association condemned the attack and intentional provocation by the Hong Kong Police. Senior journalist Yau Ching-Yuen alleged that the police might have known that the victim reporter was working for the Stand News and thus intentionally aimed at the reporter.
On 24 December 2019, a reporter of Stand News, including the recording equipment, was attacked by the police using pepper spray. At that time, the reporter was to interview the situation in Mong Kok regarding the protest activities and conflicts between the police and civilians.