Hong Kong Court Convicts WSJ Publisher in Union Case, Acquits on Firing Charge

A Hong Kong court on Thursday convicted the publisher of The Wall Street Journal of attempting to prevent one of its reporters from taking a leadership position in a local press union, while acquitting the company of a charge that it dismissed her because of her union work.

The case stems from a private prosecution brought by Selina Cheng, a former Wall Street Journal reporter, against Dow Jones Publishing Co. (Asia) Inc. after she lost her job in July 2024.

Speaking to reporters outside the Eastern Law Courts Building, Cheng said the proceedings had drawn attention to the issue of union suppression in Hong Kong. She expressed hope that employers would recognise they have no right to require employees to consult them before joining a union, and that workers would understand they should not seek such consultation, warning that doing so would effectively surrender the right to their employers.

"If reporters' employment rights are not sufficiently safeguarded or when their rights are violated and not enforced in law, then we can no longer work safely as reporters," Cheng said.

Cheng had earlier said her supervisor told her that her participation in the union election was problematic and that the matter needed to be discussed with the Journal's management in New York and Dow Jones' in-house lawyers. She said she was told her union role would be incompatible with her employment.

The case has raised concerns about media freedom in the Chinese territory. Cheng and the journalists' association have advocated for press freedom and have operated under pressure since the government cracked down on pro-democracy media and political dissent. The government has been critical of the union.

Dow Jones said it respectfully disagreed with the ruling and was evaluating its next step, adding that the Journal has a "long and proud history" as an employer in Hong Kong.