I pushed for press freedom in Hong Kong. The Wall Street Journal fired me.
China's control over Hong Kong led to a Wall Street Journal reporter, Selina Cheng, being fired for advocating press freedom. Her dismissal reflects challenges journalists face in Hong Kong.
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In the aftermath of China's tightening control over Hong Kong and the crackdown on press freedom, a former Wall Street Journal reporter, Selina Cheng, was fired after advocating for press freedom in the city. Cheng's push for defending journalists' rights led to her dismissal, as the Journal believed her public advocacy conflicted with her role as a reporter. The Journal's decision to let Cheng go was seen as an attempt to distance itself from the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA), which has been a target of Chinese government criticism. Cheng's situation reflects a broader trend of journalists facing pressure from employers for supporting press freedom initiatives. The incident highlights the challenges faced by reporters in Hong Kong amid increasing restrictions on the media. Cheng's case also underscores the importance of organizations like HKJA in protecting journalists and maintaining press freedom in the region.
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2 commentsHong Kong ranked pretty high in Press Freedom: 18th in 2002, around 60th before 2014 (when Xi took power and the Umbrella protest broke out), then it went downhill and suddenly dropped to lower than 130th after the 2019 protest and the recent national security law [1].
It is an uphill battle under the rule of an authoritarian government which disregards freedom.
[1]: See the graph “Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index: Hong Kong” at https://hongkongfp.com/2024/07/19/wall-st-journal-union-urge...
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