A Hong Kong court has found the publisher of The Wall Street Journal guilty of deterring a reporter from taking on a trade union role, sparking concerns about press freedom in the city. Selina Cheng, a former journalist with the outlet, was dismissed from her position just weeks after being appointed chair of the Hong Kong Journalist Association (HKJA) in 2024. At the time, her termination was cited as a result of company restructuring. Cheng later filed a private prosecution against Dow Jones Publishing Co. (Asia) Inc., alleging that her firing was related to her involvement in the union. The court found the company guilty on the first charge, which claimed it had prevented her from participating in union activities, but ruled that there was enough doubt about the second charge, which alleged she was fired for engaging in union work. Cheng, who previously covered China's automobile and energy sectors for the WSJ, claimed that her editor had told her that advocating for press freedom in places like Hong Kong could be seen as a conflict of interest. She alleged that the company sought to prevent her from joining the union and required her to get approval for any external activities. Cheng was reportedly asked to step down from her position on the HKJA board, with the company asserting that her union role was incompatible with her job. During the trial, the defense argued that Cheng's termination was due to redundancy and that the prosecution had not proven that the company's management had directed her supervisor to act against her. The defense also accused Cheng of acting in bad faith in an earlier hearing. However, the court found that Cheng's dismissal was driven by an unjust application of the company's code of conduct, particularly in requiring her to seek prior approval to become chair of the HKJA. The judge described Cheng as “honest and reliable,” emphasizing her commitment to justice. Dow Jones had previously pleaded not guilty to two charges under Hong Kong’s Employment Ordinance, each with a maximum fine of 100,000 Hong Kong dollars. The WSJ maintained that there was no connection between Cheng’s union role and her termination, and at the time of her dismissal, the outlet issued a statement reaffirming its support for press freedom in Hong Kong and globally. Cheng’s case has raised alarms among journalists, who already face a tightening media environment in the city, where foreign outlets have generally experienced less pressure than local ones. Hong Kong, a former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997, has seen its media landscape transform significantly in recent years. The imposition of a national security law by Beijing in 2020 led to the closure of two prominent local news outlets, Apple Daily and Stand News, after the arrest of their senior staff. Jimmy Lai, founder of Apple Daily, was sentenced to 20 years in prison earlier this year, while his employees received prison terms ranging from six years and nine months to 10 years. The HKJA, the oldest journalist union in Hong Kong, was established in 1968 and has faced growing challenges since the national security law was introduced. Hong Kong’s global press freedom ranking has dropped sharply since 2020, falling from 73rd in 2019 to 140th out of 180 countries and territories by 2026, according to Reporters Without Borders.