WSJ sacks newly elected journalists' union leader

Staff reporter

The Wall Street Journal fired the new chairwoman of the Hong Kong Journalists Association, Selina Cheng, after the American newspaper allegedly tried to persuade her to give up her bid for the embattled association's chairmanship.

Cheng said she was "appalled" that her first press conference after taking the helm at the association would be about her own dismissal.

Senior editors at the Journal had "directed" her to withdraw from the association's chairman election and resign from the board a day before the vote despite approving her participation when hiring her in 2022, Cheng added.

They supposedly cited that the positions of an association chairwoman and reporter at the newspaper were "incompatible."

Cheng said: "The editors said employees of the Journal should not be seen as advocating for press freedom in a place like Hong Kong, even though they can in Western countries, where it is already established."

Cheng claimed that her direct supervisor, world coverage chief Gordon Fairclough, traveled from the UK to Hong Kong to deliver the news in person, telling her that she was terminated due to company restructuring.

"However, our editor-in-chief [Emma Tucker] highlighted the Chinese electric vehicle industry, my reporting area, as one of the biggest stories to focus on in Asia following the layoffs in May," Cheng added.

"I am deeply shocked, especially when I am in a place where press freedom has been under attack," she said. "I am also disappointed that there are editors [from the Journal] who think that press freedom is controversial."

Cheng said she is seeking legal advice with the association as holding a union position in Hong Kong is protected by the Basic Law and the Employment Ordinance, which carries a maximum penalty of HK$100,000.

A spokesman for Dow Jones, which owns the Journal, confirmed that there were personnel changes, but stopped short on details. "The Wall Street Journal has been and continues to be a fierce and vocal advocate for press freedom in Hong Kong and around the world," the spokesman told The Standard.

The association stated it is "disappointed and outraged" by the dismissal, while adding that the Journal was not the only media outlet taking a similar stance, as some elected executive committee members were also pressured to stand down.

Cheng, a reporter at the Journal since April 2022 was elected on June 22 and took office on July 1 as HKJA chairwoman, replacing Ronson Chan Ron-sing.

She previously worked for local news media HK01's investigation team as well as the Hong Kong Free Press.