Hong Kong press union chief vows to strive for journalists’ rights after WSJ dismissal
Hong Kong Free Press
The Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) chairwoman has vowed to continue to strive for the rights of journalists and press freedom. It came weeks after she was fired by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) allegedly over her decision to accept the leadership position at the embattled union.
In a newsletter to HKJA members on Sunday, former WSJ reporter Selina Cheng said she did not expect her dismissal from the American newspaper last month to gain the attention of so many international media outlets and journalism groups.
On July 17, Hong Kong and international media filmed Cheng leaving the US newspaper’s office at Wan Chai’s Central Plaza. She told the press at the time that some senior editors at WSJ found out she was running to become the press group’s leader, as the paper ordered her to quit the union.
Cheng said she “declined” the request, after which she was told that her role with the HKJA would be “incompatible” with her job as a reporter covering China’s automobile and energy sectors.
Press groups, including the Society of Professional Journalists and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), expressed support for the HKJA chair. Compelling Cheng to step down from her role at HKJA only served to “further narrow the space for independent journalism in Hong Kong” and “gravely undermines” the freedoms of association and press press freedom in the city, the IFJ said.
The last time Hong Kong’s press freedom became the centre of attention was when the top editors of online media Stand News were arrested under the Beijing-imposed national security law in 2021, Cheng wrote in Sunday’s newsletter.
The HKJA chairwoman said she decided to hold a press conference immediately after she was fired because she wanted to show journalists in Hong Kong that the press union chief would defend her own rights.
“If the union chair does not defend her rights as an employee, how can she help members?” Cheng wrote in Chinese.
During the week of her dismissal, she received more than 100 messages every day, Cheng recalled. Aside from media enquiries, she also felt “warmth” from friends, fellow reporters and overseas journalists and editors whom she never met before, she wrote.
The executive committee of the HKJA will continue to organise activities for journalists to exchange with one another and gain knowledge, as well as seek more member benefits and provide appropriate assistance whenever members face difficulties, Cheng pledged.
“In the coming year, the HKJA executive committee will not let its members down and will continue to strive for the rights and interests of Hong Kong journalists, as well as press freedom,” the newsletter read.
Responding to HKFP in July, a spokesperson for The WSJ’s parent company Dow Jones said: “While we can confirm that we made some personnel changes today, we don’t comment on specific individuals.” They claimed that the paper “has been and continues to be a fierce and vocal advocate for press freedom in Hong Kong and around the world.”
Hong Kong has plummeted in international press freedom indices since the onset of the security law. Watchdogs cite the arrest of journalists, raids on newsrooms and the closure of around 10 media outlets including Apple Daily, Stand News and Citizen News. Over 1,000 journalists have lost their jobs, whilst many have emigrated. Meanwhile, the city’s government-funded broadcaster RTHK has adopted new editorial guidelines, purged its archives and axed news and satirical shows.
See also: Explainer: Hong Kong’s press freedom under the national security law
In 2022, Chief Executive John Lee said press freedom was “in the pocket” of Hongkongers but “nobody is above the law.” Although he has told the press to “tell a good Hong Kong story,” government departments have been reluctant to respond to story pitches.
The HKJA confirmed in Sunday’s newsletter that two more members of its executive committee had stepped down. They were HK FEATURE Chief Editor Kwan Chun-hoi and freelance journalist Lee Yu-mung. This leaves the executive committee with eight members.
Their resignations came after BBC journalist Danny Vincent and senior policy advisor Preston Cheung requested to withdraw from the election held in June. As the HKJA did not have a withdrawal mechanism in the election, the pair resigned after they were elected.
All HKFP staff are members of the HKJA, and Hans Tse is a member of the 2024-25 Executive Committee.
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