A Hong Kong court convicts the Wall Street Journal’s publisher of deterring former reporter Selina Cheng from taking a leadership role at a press union, but it clears the company of a related charge involving her dismissal. The ruling is delivered by Principal Magistrate David Cheung.
The case centers on Cheng, who chairs the Hong Kong Journalist Association (HKJA) after being appointed in 2024. Around weeks after her appointment, she is dismissed by the WSJ publisher, with the company stating the termination results from restructuring rather than retaliation.
Outlets describe the conviction as focusing on the act of discouraging her from the union role, rather than on unlawfully firing her. The reporting also highlights the broader press-freedom concerns raised by the dispute, given the sensitivity of journalistic leadership and employment actions in Hong Kong.
