Wall Street Journal Restructuring Coincidentally Excludes Free Press Chief
Big Brother congratulates Wall Street Journal reporter Selina Cheng for her recent election as chairperson of the Hong Kong Journalists Association.
On an unrelated note, Big Brother would like to send condolences for Selena Cheng’s subsequent dismissal from her job as a reporter for the Wall Street Journal in Hong Kong.
Big Brother would like to reiterate that these two events are, in fact, completely unconnected.
It's purely coincidental that Cheng, whose role was deemed invaluable by her superiors in May, finds herself on the wrong side of "company restructuring" in June. Rest assured, the WSJ's commitment to press freedom remains unshaken — except when it shakes a bit.
We know it appears the journal only supports press freedom when it’s convenient and is therefore contributing to its erosion in a nation where it's increasingly under threat. We understand the poor optics of this situation. But in rebuttal to these nasty accusations of job discrimination, the Ministry would like to offer this important point... it’s not!
The WSJ continues to diligently separate news from opinion, chase down exclusive stories, and stand as a bastion of press freedom – firmly supporting it wherever it's already safe to do so.
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PRINTING JUST THE FACTS
- The Wall Street Journal on July 17 dismissed Selina Cheng, a reporter since 2021, allegedly for being elected chairperson of the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA). Since at least 2019, authorities have accused HKJA of anti-government activities and letting in “fake journalists.”
- While Cheng was told she was fired as part of a restructuring, she said the move casts doubt on WSJ's commitment to media freedoms, as the paper discourages advocacy for press freedom in Hong Kong.
- The HKJA has argued that pressuring employees not to join the association undermines independent journalism in Hong Kong. An "appalled" Cheng on July 17 accused the WSJ management of being affected by fear and unease.
- Cheng, who covered China's automobile sector for WSJ, was elected to head HKJA amid rising pressure under the country's national security rubric used by authorities to arrest journalists and shut down liberal media.
- Her position wasn't affected when WSJ announced earlier this year that its Asia headquarters would be shifted from Hong Kong to Singapore, laying off several other journalists.
Sources: Hong Kong Free Press, The Guardian, The New York Times, Reuters, and The Washington Post.
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