World
Journalist Fired in Hong Kong Over Union Leadership
A journalist in Hong Kong has been terminated from their position due to their involvement in union leadership, sparking concerns over press freedom and rights in the region.
A Wall Street Journal reporter based in Hong Kong, Selina Cheng, revealed on Wednesday that she was terminated from her position due to her involvement as the head of a journalists’ trade union that has faced backlash from pro-Beijing authorities in the territory.
Cheng, who specialized in covering the electric vehicle industry in China since she joined the publication in 2022, was elected as the chair of the Hong Kong Journalists Association in June. During a press conference, she expressed concern that her dismissal raised doubts about The Wall Street Journal’s commitment to safeguarding media freedoms.
She criticized the top management of the newspaper for hindering employees from advocating for the essential freedoms that are crucial for the work of journalists, especially in a region where press freedom is increasingly under threat.
A spokesperson for Dow Jones, the publisher of The Wall Street Journal, issued a statement refraining from commenting on individual personnel matters. However, the statement emphasized the newspaper’s unwavering dedication to championing press freedom in Hong Kong and globally.
Once known for its robust freedom of speech that distinguished it from mainland China, Hong Kong has witnessed a decline in such liberties following Beijing’s crackdown after the mass protests against the government in 2019.
Independent news outlets critical of the Hong Kong authorities have faced raids and closures, while editors have been imprisoned following prolonged legal proceedings. A study conducted by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Hong Kong revealed that 70% of journalists in the city engage in self-censorship due to the escalating challenges to press freedom.