Hong Kong court convicts Wall Street Journal publisher over union role

In a Hong Kong court on Thursday, Dow Jones, the publisher of the Wall Street Journal, was found guilty of attempting to prevent a former reporter, Selina Cheng, from becoming the head of a press union. The company was cleared of unlawfully firing her. Cheng accused the Wall Street Journal of firing her in July 2024 after she refused to sever ties with the Hong Kong Journalists Association and advocate for press freedom.

Principal Magistrate Cheung Chi-wai David ruled that Dow Jones had indeed blocked Cheng from exercising her right under Hong Kong's Trade Unions Ordinance to serve as the chairperson of the HKJA. The magistrate noted that the company could not be ruled out of dismissing Cheng due to a genuine corporate restructuring, leading to an acquittal on that charge.

The company pleaded not guilty to both charges, each carrying a maximum fine of HK$100,000 (US$12,750). Sentencing is scheduled for a later date. Dow Jones declined to comment on the verdict, as it had previously avoided discussing the specifics of Cheng's allegations. In 2024, the Wall Street Journal announced changes to its Asia operations, shifting its focus from Hong Kong to Singapore, which resulted in some Hong Kong staff leaving the company.

Cheng, who covered China's automobile sector for the Journal in Hong Kong, was elected as the HKJA's new chairperson in 2024 amid increasing pressure from authorities under a national security crackdown that led to arrests of reporters and closures of pro-democracy media outlets.