Local association says non-Chinese media face hiring challenges

AIPIM’s president João Francisco Pinto

The Association of Portuguese and English Press (AIPIM) yesterday met Victor Chan, the head of the Government Information Bureau (GCS) and government spokesperson, to deliver a motion about local non-Chinese media’s challenges in hiring journalists.
The motion calls for local authorities to “consider speeding up” the treatment of requests to hire media professionals or renew related work permits.
The motion suggests that companies need to hire journalists from outside Macau, “considering that in Macau, there aren’t tertiary education institutions providing enough training for journalists able to work in the Portuguese and English media in Macau.”
The association submits that local authorities have presented “obstacles” in the process of hiring foreign journalists.
According to AIPIM, Victor Chan received the motion and said he would pass it to the appropriate authorities, namely the Human Resources Office and the Public Security Police Force.
On a separate matter, the association announced the date of a gathering at which journalists will debate a code of ethics and their own legal status. Drafts of both documents were released to members yesterday.
The meeting will take place in the Rui Cunha Foundation headquarters at 10 a.m. April 9. The decision to hold the gathering – which is open to all journalists – was made during the last General Assembly of AIPIM, held on March 3. PB