{
  "id": 6545432,
  "title": "BREAKING: Wall St Journal publisher guilty of preventing ex-reporter Selina Cheng from running for press union chair",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/10/breaking-wall-st-journal-publisher-guilty-of-preventing-ex-reporter-6545432",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-10T05:06:32.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Hong Kong Free Press",
    "slug": "hong-kong-free-press-hongkongfp",
    "url": "https://hongkongfp.com/2026/09/10/breaking-wall-st-journal-publisher-guilty-of-preventing-ex-reporter-selina-cheng-from-running-for-press-union-chair/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A Hong Kong court has convicted the Wall Street Journal's publisher of attempting to prevent a former reporter from becoming the leader of a press union, but acquitted the newspaper of unlawfully dismissing the individual. Selina Cheng, who served as chairperson of the Hong Kong Journalists Association and previously worked as a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, brought a private prosecution against Dow Jones Publishing, the parent company of her former employer. Cheng alleged that she had been unlawfully terminated in July 2024, following her election as chair of the press union. Senior Counsel Nigel Kat argued in closing statements that employees in Hong Kong have extensive protection under the city's Employment Ordinance, which prohibits employers from preventing, deterring, or firing workers for participating in unions. The Hong Kong Journalists Association has faced increased scrutiny from authorities in recent years, including tax audits and criticism from the city's security chief. During a July 2024 press conference, Cheng claimed the Wall Street Journal had informed her that employees should not advocate for press freedom in Hong Kong. The court heard that Cheng's then-supervisor and a human resources director may have discussed her leadership bid in conversations about her dismissal, but the prosecution did not prove that these individuals acted on the \"directing mind and will\" of the company. Cheng, who specialized in reporting on China's electric vehicle industry, was fired in July 2024 due to redundancy as the Wall Street Journal moved its Asia center of operations from Hong Kong to Singapore. The court found Dow Jones guilty of one count of attempting to prevent Cheng from becoming an HKJA officer and of terminating her employment due to her union involvement, under Hong Kong's Employment Ordinance. Under the ordinance, an employer can face fines of up to HK$100,000 for each offense if found guilty.",
  "summary": "A Hong Kong court has convicted the Wall Street Journal’s publisher of attempting to prevent a former reporter from taking up leadership of an embattled press union, but cleared it of unlawfully firing her. Principal Magistrate David Cheung delivered his ruling to Selina Cheng, a former reporter for the WSJ and chair of the Hong […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Hong Kong Free Press",
        "title": "BREAKING: Wall St Journal publisher guilty of preventing ex-reporter Selina Cheng from running for press union chair",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/10/breaking-wall-st-journal-publisher-guilty-of-preventing-ex-reporter",
        "published": "2026-09-10T05:06:32.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}