The 2025 crime report for the region was released two days ago, exclusively on the website of the Office of the Secretary for Security without the usual press conference.
In a statement, the office confirmed that it will no longer hold quarterly press conferences to present the data, “to increase the transparency of information” and contribute “to peace and harmony.”
The regular release of crime statistics will now be disseminated via “electronic means” and only in person when “necessary.”
In today’s edition of the Macao Daily News, a journalist wrote an opinion piece in which he argued that “true transparency of information” does not simply mean “posting data online in a transparent manner,” but rather “having the courage to face criticism and actively accept public oversight.”
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Founded in 1958 with the support of the Chinese Communist Party, the Macao Daily News has the city’s largest circulation, accounting for 70% to 80% of the city’s total newspaper circulation.
The same journalist stated that the move “could close one of the few remaining channels of dialogue” between Macau authorities and the public.
“When a government chooses to shut down communication channels with the media and reduce direct interaction with journalists, it may seem to avoid the hassle of dealing with difficult questions, but in doing so, it also voluntarily closes the door to resolving misunderstandings and maintaining public credibility,” the journalist emphasized.
In the same vein, the journalist points out that, in the past, press conferences “were not merely occasions to release crime statistics, but also important channels through which citizens could communicate with the authorities via the media.”
“During the press conferences, officials had to answer journalists’ questions in front of the cameras, even if their explanations weren’t always satisfactory, and at least there was an open dialogue,” the journalist noted.
According to the same author, “no matter how detailed the data or how well-organized the tables” provided online may be, “without follow-up questions from journalists, without immediate answers and clarifications from officials, and without an interactive debate in real time,” it is no longer possible to properly inform the public.
