Hong Kong court convicts publisher of deterring reporter from taking union role

A Hong Kong court has convicted the publisher of The Wall Street Journal of deterring its reporter from taking up a trade union roleByKANIS LEUNG Associated PressSeptember 10, 2026, 12:54 AMHONG KONG -- A Hong Kong court on Thursday convicted the publisher of The Wall Street Journal of deterring its reporter from taking up a trade union role, in a case that raised concerns about press freedom in the city. The court acquitted Dow Jones Publishing Co. (Asia) Inc. of the charge of dismissal over the union role. Former WSJ reporter Selina Cheng, also chairperson of the trade union Hong Kong Journalists Association, launched a private prosecution against Dow Jones Publishing Co. (Asia) Inc. after losing her job in July 2024. Hong Kong, once considered a bastion of press freedom in Asia, has seen its media landscape change drastically in recent years, including the forced closure of news outlets and the prosecution of newsroom leaders. Principal Magistrate David Cheung convicted the defendant of the first charge but said the defense has raised sufficient reasonable doubt for the second charge.Cheng earlier said her supervisor told her that her participation in the union election was prob...