Stop publication without saying despair: “Even if the apple is crushed, its seeds can still germinate everywhere”

The “Apple of the Day” may become history. Lee Yuet-wah, the patriarch of “Apple” in its early days, Zunzi, the famous cartoonist, and Ah Lok, the current reporter of “Apple”, were interviewed by our station and sighed that the fate of “Apple” nowadays is like the fate of Hong Kong. “The disappearance of Apple is not due to being abandoned by Hong Kong people, but being crushed by politics”, and the value of Apple lies in the fact that it dares to expose the ills of the times, even the pro-establishment citizens are regarded as the object of help, “no one dares to speak out if we lose Apple”.

Hong Kong’s “Apple Daily” was launched on June 20, 1995, ironically 26 years later, the fear of drawing to a close. If the Hong Kong Security Bureau failed to “dead line” on Friday (25) to unfreeze the funds, “Apple” may be suspended, Saturday is the last day to see the newspaper, online news will end at 11:59 p.m. that night.

Li Yuehua looks back on the year: sad, sigh

Before the “Apple” faced the “lights out” crisis, Lee Yuehwa, editor-in-chief of the newspaper for 18 and a half years, told the station that he was “sad and saddened”.

Li Yuehua left Ming Pao when she was in the prime of life at Apple Daily and joined Apple with curiosity, “because Apple was a big shock to the society at that time and the newspaper was selling like hotcakes.

Lee described her boss at the time, Lai Chi-ying, as “inhuman” and very demanding, “under a lot of pressure, but with a lot of benefits”. “.

Li Yuehua has witnessed the birth of “Hong Kong Apple” and “Taiwan Apple”, which she helped to create, from the birth to history, her heart is like a knife. But she disagreed with the accusation that “Apple” opposed the government’s “wrong path” and ended up in such a situation. She reiterated that the loss of “Apple” in Hong Kong “will leave a big piece of public discourse missing”, and its resources and experience in speaking out and exposing current ills cannot be filled in the short term.

Hong Kong’s loss of “Apple” cannot be filled in the short term

Lee said: “Apple” has been successful in reversing the reliance on sales and advertising to operate. Of course, readers do not only see “Apple” as a news provider, but also to support an idea. If not for political suppression, it would have continued. Today’s suspension is not about the product not doing well, not about readers giving up on her, but about political repression. Of course no one wants to sit in jail, Lai Chi-ying is also, but to ask him to kneel down, to go in exchange for freedom, I believe he will not choose so. No one else can be left alone, the red line is blurred, think it’s okay if you don’t do something about it?

Li Yuehua is not worried that he will be a prisoner in the future, “because they are predicted to happen, the red line is inescapable”, but that “rely on the big stage, big ship, big dock, is out of place”, the network era has not said despair.

Zunzi: is the Chinese community, the Chinese Communist Party in the governance of an important publishing space

Hong Kong’s famous political cartoonist Zunzi has been writing for the Apple Daily for 26 years since its inception, especially for the “June 4” and “anti-Title 23” works, which have become a household name, but unfortunately will stop.

Zunzi believes that “Apple Daily” is “bold” and “out of place” in the Chinese media, and after the return of Hong Kong’s sovereignty in 1997, when most of the media took a conservative and reverted attitude, “Apple” maintained its “outspoken” style as before. The Apple Daily has maintained its “outspoken” style.

Before the liberation of China, the cartoons and reports in China were very sharp, but there are fewer and fewer newspapers with such sharpness. (Apple Daily) represents a historical period, and through its rise and fall and experience, it reflects the changes in the situation of the Hong Kong government.

Zunzi’s message to Hong Kong people not to despair “not the end of the world”

Zunzi also pointed out that the Apple Daily’s direct and fearless style is particularly important to Hong Kong in the midst of political turmoil.

Zunzi said: the (government) departments of the report, many newspapers will be watered down, but “Apple” is direct, which is very important, if it is obscured, when people are numb, it is easy to be forgotten, many of the regime’s dark side, it is easy to breed a lot of bacteria. The corruption will be very rapid and serious.

The loss of Apple Daily is “not the end of the world”, and “we should not shut up because there is no apple”.

Chief reporter “Ah Lok”: once received threatening phone calls of sexual assault

The current “Apple” 8 years of Hong Kong news chief reporter “Ah Lok” (a pseudonym), interviewed by this station is rushing back to the company publication. She said that she did not expect “Apple” may not be able to July 1, under the pressure of heavy legal risks, every day, we see a lot of colleagues leave, “mixed feelings”, but she and some colleagues still hope to hold on to the last moment.

The Apple is not only facing closure, but in the past two years journalists have also been repeatedly “exposed”, harassed and attacked by pro-China people, “Ah Lok” is also one of the victims, having received numerous “rape” threats She has received numerous phone calls threatening “rape”. However, she has not said to leave, because she agrees with the company’s philosophy of “no fear of injustice”, “to work hard as usual is the biggest counterattack”. She laughed and said that many of the “informants” are pro-establishment people, “because I believe Apple will definitely speak out, and that’s where Apple’s value lies”.

“Alao” finally borrowed from her colleague’s words, “Even if the apple is crushed, its seeds can still sprout everywhere.

Original title: Stop publication without saying despair Interview with Apple’s founder, Zunzi, and current journalist: the biggest comeback is to work hard as usual