近年，网络和社交平台已经成为政治宣传必争之地，大量没有经过专业新闻工作者把关的资讯在网络上流通，影响民衆对时事的看法。过去一年在香港以至国际社会发生的重大事件，如立法会议员宣誓风波引致人大释法、英国公投脱欧及美国总统大选等，都可以看到网络上似是而非讯息的影响。这一切都应促使大家重新关注传媒的角色和新闻公信力的问题，尤其是新闻专业操守的重要性和报业的价值。出版报纸是个庞大的投资，报业经营者都知道，报章的公信力是最宝贵的资产，因为以假新闻催谷销路是会被读者唾弃的。

       香港犹幸仍有不少新闻工作者坚守传媒作为行政、立法、司法之外「第四权」的价值——监察社会、彰显公义。尽管报业前景备受质疑，2016年度「香港最佳新闻奖」却有来自12份报章的633篇报道参赛，足见不管环境艰辛，香港的新闻工作者依然不懈追求事实与真相，深信传媒是推动社会向前迈进的力量。他们对社会的关注非常多元化，从不同角度剖析政经及社会事件，好让市民能够深入掌握这些事件的来龙去脉，从而发挥影响，引起共鸣。

        我谨代表香港报业公会感谢社会各界支持，尤其是所有评审委员及各家赞助机构。衷心祝贺2016年度新闻奖的得奖者，感谢他们及所有新闻界同业对专业的贡献和付出，为读者提供不偏不倚的新闻报道。展望未来，香港报业公会定必继续推动业界发展，提升业内的专业水准。

Keith Kam
Chairman
Message from Chairman of The Newspaper Society of Hong Kong

　　In recent years, the internet and social media have become battlegrounds for political propaganda. Large amounts of information that have not been processed by professional gate-keepers are shaping public opinion. In Hong Kong and the international arena, the impact of specious information circulating on the web could be seen in the following events: Legislative Councillors' oath-taking row, which led to an interpretation of the Basic Law by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the Brexit referendum and the US presidential election. All these should renew our attention to such issues as the role of the media, credibility of news, importance of professionalism and, above all, value of the newspaper industry. Publishing a newspaper is a huge investment. Those in the industry know that credibility is the most valuable asset of a newspaper, as one that tries to boost circulation with fake news is doomed to be deserted by readers.

　　It is Hong Kong's fortune that many journalists here still hold firmly to the value of the press as the "fourth estate" that has a responsibility to act as a watchdog for social justice. Even though there are doubts over the outlook of the newspaper industry, the Hong Kong News Awards 2016 has attracted 633 entries from 12 newspapers. This shows that despite the difficult operating environment, there is no lack of journalists who are dedicated to pursuing the truth and convinced that the media is a vital force driving the society forward. The contents of the entries show that our journalists tackle their subjects from diverse perspectives. To enhance public understanding of social issues and create resonance with readers, they try to report and analyse political and social events from different angles.

　　On behalf of The Newspaper Society of Hong Kong, I hereby express my sincere gratitude to different sectors of the community for their support, especially all the adjudicators and sponsoring organizations. We extend our hearty congratulations to all the winners of Hong Kong News Awards 2016. We thank them as well as everyone in the industry for their efforts to provide readers with even-handed coverage. Looking ahead, The Newspaper Society of Hong Kong will continue to promote the advancement of the industry by striving to raise professional standards.