The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) fired Hong Kong-based reporter Selina Cheng today(17 July), weeks after she was elected chair of the Hong Kong Journalist Association (HKJA).
Cheng was ‘appalled’ by the decision and revealed that her supervisor had advised her about three weeks ago that the duties of advocating for press freedom at HKJA and her position at WSJ were ‘incompatible’. Cheng declined the supervisor’s request to withdraw from the election for Chairperson and resign from her committee position at the time.
Cheng was informed of her dismissal arrangement by Gordon Fairclough, the newspaper’s International Edition Editor, who flew from the UK to Hong Kong today and claimed restructuring as the reason for her dismissal.
The episode raises suspicions that, after failing to pressure Cheng to withdraw from the union election, The Wall Street Journal used “restructuring” as an excuse to fire her following the election. Employers are prohibited under Hong Kong’s Employment Ordinance from intimidating, punishing, or discriminating against employees who participate in unions or serve on their boards. The HKJA has condemned this action and is seeking legal advice regarding potential violations of workers’ rights to organise a union.
However, during today’s press stand-up, Cheng stated that her WSJ supervisor had told her that the newspaper’s employees should not be seen advocating for press freedom “in a place like Hong Kong”, even though they “can in Western countries where it is already established.” The supervisor went on to explain that reporting on events affecting press freedom in Hong Kong, such as media-related court trials, might lead to conflicts if an employee served as chair of the HKJA while also campaigning for similar issues.
Cheng declined her supervisor’s request and emphasised that the company had previously approved her role on the HKJA’s executive committee. She also thought her dismissal due to restructuring was unreasonable. In response, she stated that the newspaper had already shrunk in May, at which point the top editor considered her reporting on China’s electric vehicle industry among Asia’s most significant.
“This is why I am deeply shocked that senior editors at the paper would actively violate their employees’ human rights by preventing them from advocating for freedoms that the Journal’s reporters rely on to work in a place where journalists and their rights are under threat,” Cheng said.
She went on, “It is obvious to me that the fear and unease the press in Hong Kong have been facing for years now has equally affected the Journal’s management, even though they’re far away on different continents. I am disappointed if these editors abroad have come to think press freedom is a controversial issue, as those who wish to intimidate reporters might like us to believe. It is not.”
“The necessity for journalists to uphold and defend press freedom is not relative to where we are in the world,” she explained.
Cheng said that she had warned the publication that terminating employees because they belong to a labour union is prohibited and may result in criminal charges. However, the publication did not heed this warning.
When asked if she was concerned about losing her work, she emphasised that unemployment was only temporary. She underlined her role and responsibility in protecting press freedom through the labour union, saying, “Compared to the importance of a job and a salary, this is more long-term.”
Cheng took over as HKJA’s chair on July 1 this year, following Ronson Chan. Cheng served on the executive committee for three years before being elected chair. During the election, she outlined her platforms, which included speaking out for media-related court cases such as the Apple Daily and Stand News cases, advocating for small and independent media, supporting freelance journalists, assisting members with labour and press freedom issues, and disseminating information about the state of press freedom in Hong Kong.