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Hong Kong court convicts Wall Street Journal publisher for blocking reporter from union role

A Hong Kong court convicted Dow Jones, the publisher of the Wall Street Journal, on Thursday of attempting to block a former reporter from becoming the head of a press union, but cleared it of unlawfully firing her.

CNNStory by Reuters2026-09-10 07:06查看原文 ↗

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Journalist Selina Cheng said she was fired by the Wall Street Journal in July 2024 after refusing demands from senior editors at the paper to sever ties with the Hong Kong Journalists Association and to not advocate for press freedom.

Principal Magistrate Cheung Chi-wai David ruled that Dow Jones was guilty of wilfully preventing Cheng from exercising her right, under the city’s Trade Unions Ordinance, to become an officer of a registered trade union in June 2024.

“The company required her to obtain permission to run for the chairpersonship of the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) – permission that would have been denied – and asserted that she would not remain employed if she assumed the role,” the magistrate said.

Cheng, speaking to reporters following the court hearing, said her case had brought awareness of union suppression in Hong Kong and that employers had no right to have employees consult them before joining a union.

“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,” she said.

The company was found not guilty of a second charge that alleged it unlawfully terminated Cheng’s employment contract on July 17, 2024, because she had exercised that right.

The magistrate said the possibility that the company dismissed Cheng as part of a genuine corporate restructuring could not be ruled out beyond a reasonable doubt, resulting in an acquittal on the second count.

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Hong Kong journalist says she was fired by WSJ after taking top post at union under attack by Beijing

The company pleaded not guilty to both charges, which each carry a maximum fine of HK$100,000 ($12,750). Sentencing is expected at a later date.

Dow Jones did not immediately respond to a request for comment following Thursday’s verdict. The company has previously declined to comment on the specifics of Cheng’s allegations.

A spokesperson for Dow Jones told Reuters in 2024 the company had made some restructuring decisions but would not comment on specific individuals.

Cheng, who covered China’s automobile sector for the Journal in Hong Kong, was elected in 2024 to be the HKJA’s new chairperson at a time of mounting pressure by authorities under a national security crackdown that has seen reporters arrested and pro-democracy media outlets closed.

The Wall Street Journal announced changes to its Asia operations in 2024, a move that shifted its “centre of gravity in the region from Hong Kong to Singapore,” it said in a statement at the time. “Consequently, some of our colleagues, mostly in Hong Kong, will be leaving us.”

Cheng said at the time that she was told by her supervisor that employees of the Journal should not be seen as advocating for press freedom in a place like Hong Kong given a potential conflict of interest.

Peter Parks/法新社/盖蒂图片社

香港一家法院周四裁定，《华尔街日报》的出版商道琼斯公司试图阻止一名前记者成为新闻工会主席，但驳回了该公司非法解雇该记者的指控。

记者郑秀琳表示，她于 2024 年 7 月被《华尔街日报》解雇，原因是她拒绝了该报高级编辑提出的要求，即断绝与香港记者协会的关系，以及不再倡导新闻自由。

首席裁判官张志伟裁定，道琼斯公司故意阻止郑女士行使香港《工会条例》赋予她的权利，于2024年6月成为注册工会的职员，此举构成犯罪。

裁判官说：“该公司要求她获得竞选香港记者协会（HKJA）主席的许可——而这一许可原本会被拒绝——并声称如果她担任该职位，她将无法继续受雇。”

郑女士在庭审结束后对记者表示，她的案件让人们意识到香港存在工会压制现象，雇主无权要求雇员在加入工会前咨询雇主的意见。

“如果记者的就业权利得不到充分保障，或者他们的权利遭到侵犯而又得不到法律的执行，那么我们就无法再安全地从事记者工作了，”她说。

该公司被判无罪的第二项指控是，该公司于 2024 年 7 月 17 日非法终止了程女士的雇佣合同，因为她行使了该权利。

地方法官表示，不能排除该公司解雇程某是出于真正的公司重组目的的可能性，因此第二项指控被判无罪。

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香港记者称，在北京方面施压下，她担任工会最高职位后被《华尔街日报》解雇。

该公司对两项指控均不不认罪，每项指控最高罚款为10万港元（约合12750美元）。预计将在稍后日期宣判。