Photo courtesy of Anadolu
A Hong Kong court convicted Dow Jones Publishing on Thursday of trying to discourage a Wall Street Journal reporter from taking a senior role in a local journalists’ organization, while rejecting a separate claim that her eventual dismissal violated labor law.
The case was brought by former Journal reporter Selina Cheng, who was elected chair of the Hong Kong Journalists Association in 2024.
Principal Magistrate David Cheung found Dow Jones guilty of an offense involving conduct intended to prevent or deter Cheng from becoming an officer of the association, according to Hong Kong Free Press.
The court reached a different conclusion on Cheng’s dismissal. It cleared the publisher of the charge that it terminated her employment because of her participation in the journalists’ group.
Cheng lost her job in July 2024, shortly after taking over the HKJA leadership. She subsequently initiated a private prosecution against her former employer under provisions of Hong Kong’s Employment Ordinance protecting employees’ participation in trade unions.
Dow Jones disputed the allegations and entered not-guilty pleas. The company maintained that Cheng’s position was eliminated because of redundancy as The Wall Street Journal moved the center of its Asia operations from Hong Kong to Singapore.
The case unfolded as the HKJA and independent news organizations in Hong Kong faced increased scrutiny, including tax examinations involving some media outlets and their employees.
Hong Kong law allows a fine of up to HK$100,000, or roughly $12,750, for each of the employment-related offenses at issue. The conviction concerned the alleged attempt to deter Cheng from the union position and did not amount to a finding that her dismissal itself was unlawful.