Hong Kong court rules Dow Jones tried to stop journalist taking union role

What the report says

A Hong Kong court has ruled that Dow Jones tried to stop journalist Selina Cheng from taking a union role, while also clearing the publisher of unlawfully dismissing her over that position, according to Al Jazeera’s report based on AFP, AP and Reuters. The case centers on Cheng, a former Wall Street Journal reporter, and her role chairing the Hong Kong Journalists Association, one of the city’s longest-running press groups.

The court found Dow Jones guilty of trying to deter Cheng from running for the union chairmanship, saying the company’s demand that she obtain prior permission amounted to an unjustified restriction on her rights. At the same time, the judge accepted Dow Jones’s argument that Cheng’s 2024 firing was tied to corporate restructuring and redundancy, not retaliation for her union involvement. Sentencing is to follow later.

Cheng, who brought the case after an earlier labour complaint did not lead to prosecution, said the decision underscored the need to protect reporters’ employment rights. Dow Jones said it disagreed with the ruling and was considering its next steps. The case has drawn attention because Hong Kong’s media environment has tightened in recent years, particularly after Beijing’s 2020 national security law, with press-freedom groups warning of increased pressure on independent journalism.