Founded in 2015, Hong Kong Free Press is an impartial, non-profit, award-winning English-language newspaper.
Run by journalists, backed by readers and 100% independent, HKFP is governed by a public Code of Ethics and is part of the Trust Project network.
Executive Editor Mercedes Hutton, Senior Reporter Irene Chan, Photojournalist Kyle Lam, Senior Reporter Kelly Ho, Editor-in-chief Tom Grundy, Reporter James Lee, Reporter Hans Tse, Social Media & Production Editor Shan Chan and Senior Reporter Hillary Leung, and Pixel the dog.
HKFP was the city’s first crowdfunded media outlet, and the fastest-funded, largest project of its time. Nowadays, we are sustained by direct one-off and monthly contributions from readers.
Our mission: HKFP’s mission is to be the most credible, impartial and independent news outlet on Hong Kong affairs, and to help safeguard press freedom in the city. We seek to amplify the voices of the voiceless whilst bridging the gap between the Chinese and English languages.
HKFP is only answerable to readers, not shareholders, media tycoons or corporate umbrella groups. Learn more about how you can support us and ensure our independence.
Tom founded Hong Kong Free Press in 2015 and is the editor-in-chief. In addition to editing, he is responsible for managing the newsroom and company – including fundraising, recruitment and overseeing HKFP’s web presence and ethical guidelines.
He has a BA in Communications and New Media from Leeds University and an MA in Journalism from the University of Hong Kong. He previously led an NGO advocating for domestic worker rights, and has contributed to the BBC, Deutsche Welle, Al-Jazeera and others. More by Tom Grundy
Mercedes is a British journalist who has been based in Hong Kong since 2012. At Hong Kong Free Press, she has covered a number of local environmental issues, including climate inequality and marine biodiversity, and explored how Hong Kong’s arts scene reflects a changing city. She has contributed to the Guardian and BBC Travel, and previously worked at the South China Morning Post, where she wrote a weekly column about the social and environmental impact of tourism in Asia. More by Mercedes Hutton
Ho Long Sze Kelly is a Hong Kong-based journalist covering politics, criminal justice, human rights, social welfare and education. As a Senior Reporter at Hong Kong Free Press, she has covered the aftermath of the 2019 extradition bill protests and the Covid-19 pandemic extensively, as well as documented the transformation of her home city under the Beijing-imposed national security law.
Kelly has a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Hong Kong, with a second major in Politics and Public Administration. Prior to joining HKFP in 2020, she was on the frontlines covering the 2019 citywide unrest for South China Morning Post’s Young Post. She also covered sports and youth-related issues. More by Kelly Ho
Irene Chan is a reporter at Hong Kong Free Press and has an interest in covering political and social change. She previously worked at Initium Media as chief editor for Hong Kong news and was a community organiser at the Society for Community Organisation serving the underprivileged. She has a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Fudan University and a master’s degree in social work from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Irene is the recipient of two Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) awards and three honourable mentions for her investigative, feature and video reporting. She also received a Human Rights Press Award for multimedia reporting and an honourable mention for feature writing. More by Irene Chan
Shan Chan is the social media and production manager at Hong Kong Free Press. Born and raised in Hong Kong, Shan holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Communication from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Prior to joining HKFP in 2023, Shan worked at two local digital marketing agencies as a social media editor and copywriter. She also worked as an intern and part-time reporter at Radio Television Hong Kong in 2019, where she was on the frontlines covering the 2019 protests and unrest. More by Shan Chan
Hillary Leung is a journalist at Hong Kong Free Press, where she reports on local politics and social issues, and assists with editing. Since joining in late 2021, she has covered the Covid-19 pandemic, political court cases including the 47 democrats national security trial, and challenges faced by minority communities.
Born and raised in Hong Kong, Hillary completed her undergraduate degree in journalism and sociology at the University of Hong Kong. She worked at TIME Magazine in 2019, where she wrote about Asia and overnight US news before turning her focus to the protests that began that summer. At Coconuts Hong Kong, she covered general news and wrote features, including about a Black Lives Matter march that drew controversy amid the local pro-democracy movement and two sisters who were born to a domestic worker and lived undocumented for 30 years in Hong Kong. More by Hillary Leung
James Lee is a reporter at Hong Kong Free Press with an interest in culture and social issues. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English and a minor in Journalism from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, where he witnessed the institution’s transformation over the course of the 2019 extradition bill protests and after the passing of the Beijing-imposed security law.
Since joining HKFP in 2023, he has covered local politics, the city’s housing crisis, as well as landmark court cases including the 47 democrats national security trial. He was previously a reporter at The Standard where he interviewed pro-establishment heavyweights and extensively covered the Covid-19 pandemic and Hong Kong’s political overhauls under the national security law. More by James Lee
Hans Tse is a reporter at Hong Kong Free Press with an interest in local politics, academia, and media transformation. He was previously a social science researcher, with writing published in the Social Movement Studies and Social Transformation of Chinese Societies journals. He holds an M.Phil in communication from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Before joining HKFP, He also worked as a freelance reporter for Initium between 2019 and 2021, where he covered the height – and aftermath – of the 2019 protests, as well as the sweeping national security law imposed by Beijing in 2020. More by Hans Tse
Kyle Lam is a Hong Kong Baptist University graduate who has worked as a photojournalist and reporter since 2013. His work has been published by HK01, the European Pressphoto Agency, Bloomberg and Ming Pao. Lam is the recipient of several prizes from the Hong Kong Press Photographers Association and Human Rights Press Awards. More by Kyle Lam
