The Chinese finance hub was once known for its freewheeling press but has plummeted in media freedom rankings since Beijing cracked down on dissent following huge pro-democracy protests in 2019.
The Hong Kong Journalists Association said members of its executive committee, 13 international and local media outlets and two education institutions have been targeted by anonymous harassers since June.
"This type of intimidation and harassment, which includes sharing false and defamatory content and death threats, damages press freedom in Hong Kong and we should not tolerate it," association chair Selina Cheng said at a press conference.
The announcement comes around a fortnight after pro-democracy outlet Stand News and its two top editors were found guilty of sedition, the first conviction of its kind since Hong Kong came under Chinese rule in 1997.
At least 15 journalists -- including Cheng -- were targeted in anonymous complaint emails or letters addressed to their family members, their relatives' employers, landlords, schools, charities and private businesses, the HKJA said.
Some of the letter-writers called themselves "patriots", the association added.
At least 36 journalists had their personal information posted in Facebook groups, in some cases with death threats in the form of imagery of knives and blood.
There was no evidence that the harassment was state-coordinated but it was on the biggest scale seen so far, Cheng said.
- Letters to property agencies -
One Wikipedia user was suspended after posting journalists' personal information on the website, action taken after the press group contacted the Wikimedia Foundation.
The HKJA said harassers may have taken advantage of "apparent (data) leaks from government or other private databases" and urged the authorities to investigate promptly.
Hong Kong passed a law in 2021 to criminalise doxxing, the non-consensual disclosure of others' personal data.
Under Secretary for Security Michael Cheuk on Friday urged those who were affected by harassment to contact law enforcement, but rejected the suggestion of personal data being leaked from government databases.
Hong Kong's privacy watchdog confirmed to AFP that it has received one related complaint.
News outlet Hong Kong Free Press said its director Tom Grundy contacted police after anonymous letters were sent to his landlord and property agencies, warning of "unimaginable consequences" unless he was evicted.
Last month, an annual survey by the HKJA showed Hong Kong's press freedom at a record low, with journalists citing significant impact from a new national security law passed in March.
Hong Kong authorities have defended the security law as necessary to plug legal "loopholes" and said law-abiding reporters can work freely in the city.
hol/rsc
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