Hong Kong court convicts Wall Street Journal publisher for seeking to block reporter from union role
The court cleared Dow Jones of dismissal but found it deterred former reporter Selina Cheng from a union role, in a case tied to press freedom concerns.
- On Thursday, the Eastern Magistrates Courts convicted the publisher of The Wall Street Journal of deterring former reporter Selina Cheng from a trade union leadership role, while acquitting the company of unlawful dismissal charges.
- Cheng, chairperson of the Hong Kong Journalists Association, initiated private prosecution against Dow Jones Publishing after losing her job in July 2024, when her supervisor told her the union role was "not compatible" with her employment.
- Senior Counsel Nigel Kat argued employees enjoy "far-reaching protection" under the city's Employment Ordinance, while Senior Counsel Benson Tsoi, representing Dow Jones, argued the prosecution failed to prove the company's "directing mind and will" instructed the actions.
- Principal Magistrate David Cheung convicted Dow Jones of the first charge, noting the defense raised reasonable doubt for the second; the company faces a maximum fine of $100,000 for each offense under the ordinance.
- Reporters Without Borders currently ranks Hong Kong 140th out of 180 countries in press freedom, a sharp drop from 18th in 2002, reflecting the territory's changing media landscape in recent years.
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Hong Kong court convicts Wall Street Journal publisher for seeking to block 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 reporter from becoming the head of a press union, but cleared it of unlawfully firing her.
Malay Mail
AlKhaleej TodayHong Kong court finds WSJ sought to deter journalist from union role
HONG KONG, Sept 10 — A Hong Kong court found Dow Jones guilty on Thursday of trying to deter a reporter from taking a union role, but acquitted the publisher on a charge that it...
HK court convicts WSJ publisher Dow Jones for deterring reporter from union role
HONG KONG —A Hong Kong court on Thursday convicted Dow Jones, the publisher of the Wall Street Journal, of attempting to block a former reporter from becoming the head of a press union, in a case that raised concerns about press freedom in the territory.The newspaper dismissed Selina Cheng just weeks after she was appointed chair of the Hong Kong Journalist Association (HKJA) in 2024. She was told at the time her termination was officially due t…
Selina Cheng, chair of Hong Kong Journalists Association in 2024, was fired from by the US-based news outlet
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