Termination of Hong Kong-based WSJ Reporter Points to Increased Pressure to Control Media

On July 17th, US-based newspaper The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) fired Hong Kong-based journalist Selina Cheng. The newspaper terminated Cheng after she was elected to head the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) in late June. Cheng's termination occurred approximately five months after Hong Kong's Secretary of Security, Chris Tang, described the association as unrepresentative of the media in the city..Firing of Selina Cheng.Cheng spoke to a crowd of reporters outside Central Plaza after being informed of her termination from the WSJ. She said that she was shocked that the first press conference she held as the HKJA chief was to say, "she was fired for taking up this position in a press union." Cheng also said that her supervisor in the UK "directed me to withdraw from the election" when the WSJ's senior editors found out she was running to be the association's chairman. The supervisor asked Cheng to step down as a member of the HKJA's board, although the WSJ "approved" of her participation when she was initially hired. Cheng, however, declined her supervisor's requests and was told that her position with the journalist association "would be incompatible with her job as a reporter covering China's automobile and energy sectors for the newspaper.".The company told Cheng that WSJ "should not be seen as advocating for press freedom in a place like Hong Kong" although they do so in "Western countries where it is already established." Cheng pointed out that the newspaper supported WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich after Russia detained him on espionage charges over a year ago. She, however, commended the news outlet's "continued efforts to support him and secure his release in a hostile environment." Cheng said she was "deeply shocked" that the editorial staff at the WSJ "would actively violate their employees' human rights by preventing them from advocating for press freedom that journalists rely on to work in a place" where they and their rights are under threat..She said that the "fear and unease the press in Hong Kong have been facing for years" have now affected the news outlet's management, "even though they are far away" and on different continents. The terminated reporter said that she had proof showing that the WSJ's senior editors pressured her over the HKJA Chairman role. She also said that editor Gordon Fairclough told her in a physical meeting that her position "was eliminated due to restructuring." Cheng pointed out that the WSJ's editor-in-chief said that Chinese electric vehicles "were among the most important stories for the newspaper.".Regarding the restructuring that the editor gave as the reason for Cheng's termination, the WSJ said that it will move its Indo-Pacific headquarters to Singapore and that some Hong Kong staff would be laid off. A Dow Jones spokesperson said that while they can confirm the WSJ "made some personnel changes today," they do not comment on individuals involved. The spokesperson also said that the newspaper "has been and continues to be a fierce and vocal advocate for press freedom in Hong Kong and around the world.".Cheng also released a statement that expanded on the comments she made during the press conference. For example, Cheng said that the meeting between her and her supervisor that asked her to quit the board occurred one day before the HKJA's election. The editor also told Cheng that Hong Kong's press was "coming under severe challenges" and that the WSJ continues "to report on incidents related to press freedom in the city, such as trials against the press, so having its employees advocating for it would create a conflict." Cheng also explained that HKJA is a union for the press in Hong Kong and that it advocates "for the rights and interests of reporters in the city," including press freedom, because it is fundamental to their work and is "guaranteed by Hong Kong's Basic Law." She also reminded her editors that her election to the Chairman's position is "legally protected in Hong Kong" and is enshrined in the Basic Law's Article 27, the same article that "guarantees the right to a free press." Cheng also said that other board members of the journalist association resigned from their positions due to pressure from their employers. She then pointed out that her termination violated the city's Employment Ordinance and that it could "leave a criminal record on both the Journal and the individual acting on behalf of the Journal.".Hong Kong Journalist Association Statement.KHJA also released a statement that expressed its disappointment and outrage regarding Cheng's termination from the WSJ. The statement emphasized several of the points that Cheng made in her statements to reporters on her X account. The association pointed out the Journal covered the "state of press freedom in Hong Kong extensively" and its editorial board "expressed concern over declining press freedom in the city." However, it highlighted how the news outlet risked "hastening the decline of what space for independent journalism remains" by pressuring its employees not to "take part in the HKJA. The Journalist Association pointed out that other employers pressured board members to step down from their positions and risked their jobs if they stood in its elections. The statement ended with the association calling on all news outlets "operating in Greater China to support the work of press groups" such as the HKJA, Foreign Correspondents' Club of Hong Kong, and the Foreign Correspondents' Club of China..Cheng's Termination Shows Hong Kong's Increasingly Hostile Environment for News Outlets.The WSJ terminated Cheng over the pressure it received from the Hong Kong government, viewing Cheng's position in the HKJA as a liability. Cheng's termination also shows how the Hong Kong government will use its security instruments at its disposal to force news agencies to stop activities it perceives as subversive or goes against its interests. The reasons that the Journal and Cheng gave regarding her termination show how news agencies must navigate an increasingly hostile environment for the press. For example, the Journal said it terminated Cheng because it was restructuring in preparation for its move to Singapore. However, the Journal's reason for Cheng's termination was not related to restructuring since the company laid off most employees after it announced its plans to move operations to Singapore in May. The statements both said that the editor-in-chief kept Cheng to continue writing about Chinese electric vehicles because the news outlet viewed the topic as important. However, Cheng and HKJA's statements paint an entirely different picture. They said that the WSJ terminated Cheng after it failed to pressure her to step down from the association board and not participate in the June 2024 executive committee elections..The WSJ viewed Cheng's association with HKJA as a liability to the company because of the passage of Article 23 in March 2024. The law included a new criminal offense called "sabotage endangering national security" that allowed the government to arrest and charge people for "endangering national security." The vague language regarding what is considered endangering national security will allow the government to charge individuals and entities with violating the law. The WSJ viewed Cheng's participation with the HKJA as an unacceptable legal liability. Specifically, the government could charge the WSJ along with Cheng if it decided to try her for violating Article 23. The government would argue that the WSJ has to be charged because it knew Cheng was the chairman of an organization that participated in illegal activities and sanctioned her activities..Cheng's termination shows how Hong Kong would use its security apparatus to pressure journalists to cease activities it deems subversive. Hong Kong's Secretary of Security, Chris Tang, criticized the HKJA as not being a legitimate representative of the city's media groups in February 2024 during consultations on Article 23. The secretary said that the bureau did not consider HKJA a legitimate press group because it "believes anyone can be a reporter" and "it has counted 13-year-old children, or even those foul-mouthed individuals who make derogatory comments while filming our female officers, as professional reporters." The bureau also issued a statement that criticized the HKJA over its alleged participation in the 2019 protests against amending the extradition bill. The statement said that the KHJA does not represent the city's press environment because "it acted as an escort for rioters during the black-clad violence, showed biased positions, and its members repeatedly breached the law" in the name of journalism. The Security Bureau and Tang's comments laid the groundwork for the city's security apparatus to begin pressuring news agencies to force their employees to step down or stop associating with the HKJA. The government hopes to force the association to disband because it considers the group subversive, such as advocating for increased press freedoms.