WSJ publisher convicted over Selina Cheng union bid
HKFP · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
A Hong Kong court on Thursday found the Wall Street Journal’s publisher guilty of attempting to prevent former reporter Selina Cheng from assuming leadership of the Hong Kong Journalists Association, in a case brought by Cheng through a private prosecution. The court did not convict the company over Cheng’s dismissal, ruling instead only on the allegation that it had tried to deter her union participation.
Key Points
- Principal Magistrate David Cheung delivered the ruling to Selina Cheng at Eastern Magistrates’ Courts on Thursday, convicting Dow Jones Publishing on the prevention charge.
- Cheng, a former Wall Street Journal reporter and now chair of the Hong Kong Journalists Association, launched the private prosecution over her July 2024 dismissal.
- Her legal team argued the Employment Ordinance gives workers broad protection against employers preventing, deterring, or firing staff over union participation.
- Dow Jones said Cheng was dismissed for redundancy in July 2024, when the Wall Street Journal shifted its Asia reporting centre from Hong Kong to Singapore.
- In closing submissions, both sides disputed whether Cheng’s supervisor and a human resources director were speaking for the company when discussing her leadership bid.
Why It Matters
The ruling puts a Hong Kong newsroom employment dispute into the courts at a time when the Hong Kong Journalists Association has faced mounting pressure, including tax audits and public criticism from senior officials. For local media workers, the case also tests how far statutory labour protections extend when union activity and newsroom management decisions collide.