Hong Kong’s news media industry has voiced staunch support for the city’s first five-year plan and the chief executive’s 2026 Policy Address, both unveiled on Wednesday to outline the special administrative region’s macro-level development strategy and specific policy measures.

Describing the five-year plan as “ambitious and precise in its positioning, progressive and pragmatic in its measures”, the Hong Kong Federation of Journalists said on Wednesday that Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu and the SAR government have fulfilled their duties as "the heads of the family" and "the primary responsible party”, actively responding to changes and garnering widespread support across sectors.

For the media sector specifically, the five-year plan proposes strengthening the global reach of mainstream media, while the Policy Address emphasizes that the HKSAR government will continue assisting the local media outlets to expand their networks and tell good stories of Hong Kong.

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Praising the government for actively listening to the industry, the federation said these measures will foster the healthy development of the media industry and enhance its international competitiveness and communication reach.

To consolidate Hong Kong’s status as an Asia‑Pacific broadcasting hub and promote the sustainable development of the television industry, the Policy Address also proposes reviewing the Generic Codes of Practice for Television, aiming to keep regulations up-to-dated, encourage more diversified, high-quality programs and expand the reach of the “Hong Kong Brand”.

The federation expressed its confidence that the optimization of regulations will enable the television industry to gain greater room for growth.

Echoing the federation’s support, the Newspaper Society of Hong Kong noted that these policy measures will facilitate healthier development of the industry amid ongoing technological shifts and a challenging business environment.

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A vibrant media ecosystem will allow Hong Kong – an international city under "one country, two systems” – to leverage its role as a superconnector, the society added.