WSJ Reporter Selina Cheng's Unexpected Dismissal After HKJA Election Raises Concerns Over Press Freedom

Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region China
Cheng declined their request and went on to win the election for chair of the HKJA on June 22, 2024.
On June 17, her supervisors at The Wall Street Journal instructed her to withdraw from the HKJA election and leave its board.
Selina Cheng was a reporter for The Wall Street Journal in Hong Kong since 2022, covering China's automobiles and energy sectors.
She was elected as the chair of the Hong Kong Journalists Association on June 22, 2024.
She was terminated by The Wall Street Journal on July 17, 2024, with no prior warning and no explanation given beyond restructuring.
WSJ Reporter Selina Cheng's Unexpected Dismissal After HKJA Election Raises Concerns Over Press Freedom

HONG KONG AND NEW YORK (AP) – Selina Cheng, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal in Hong Kong, was unexpectedly terminated from her position shortly after being elected as the chair of the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) on June 22, 2024. Cheng believes that her dismissal is related to her role as HKJA chair and claims she came under pressure from her employer to quit the association.

According to Cheng, she was instructed by her supervisors at The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on June 21, 2024, the day before the HKJA election, to withdraw her candidacy and leave its board. She declined their request and went on to win the election.

Cheng's termination came as a surprise since she had been with The Wall Street Journal since 2022, covering China's automobiles and energy sectors. When asked for comment, a spokesperson for Dow Jones, WSJ's parent company, stated that they do not comment on individual personnel matters.

The HKJA is a key advocate for independent journalism in Hong Kong and has been under increasing pressure from the Chinese government due to Beijing's crackdown on freedoms in the city. The association plays a crucial role in defending press freedom and supporting journalists facing harassment or persecution.

Cheng's dismissal raises concerns about WSJ's commitment to protecting media freedoms, especially given that she was elected as HKJA chair just days before her termination. It is important to note that under Hong Kong law, it is legal for journalists to be officers of a union like the HKJA.

The facts surrounding Cheng's dismissal are as follows:

  1. Selina Cheng was a reporter for The Wall Street Journal in Hong Kong since 2022, covering China's automobiles and energy sectors.

  2. She was elected as the chair of the Hong Kong Journalists Association on June 22, 2024.

  3. On June 17, her supervisors at The Wall Street Journal instructed her to withdraw from the HKJA election and leave its board.

  4. Cheng declined their request and went on to win the election for chair of the HKJA on June 22, 2024.

  5. She was terminated by The Wall Street Journal on July 17, 2024, with no prior warning and no explanation given beyond restructuring.

The following are the topics related to this story:

  • Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA)
  • Press freedom in Hong Kong
  • The Wall Street Journal (WSJ)
  • Dow Jones
  • Beijing's crackdown on freedoms in Hong Kong

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Confidence

70%

Doubts
  • Could The Wall Street Journal provide more context or explanation for Cheng's termination?
  • How will this incident impact press freedom in Hong Kong?
  • Is there any evidence that Cheng's dismissal is directly related to her role as HKJA chair?

Sources

96%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Wall Street Journal fires Hong Kong reporter who headed embattled press club

The Fixing Site: A Summary of the Article. Shibani Mahtani Wednesday, 17 July 2024 11:52
  • Unique Points
    • Hong Kong-based reporter Selina Cheng was terminated by the Wall Street Journal shortly after she was elected as chair of the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA).
    • Cheng believes her termination is related to her role as chair of the HKJA and claims she came under pressure from her employer to quit the association.
    • Under Hong Kong law, it is legal to be an officer of a union (like HKJA) and this right is guaranteed by the Basic Law, the city’s mini-constitution.
  • Accuracy
    • Selina Cheng was terminated by the Wall Street Journal shortly after she was elected as chair of the Hong Kong Journalists Association.
    • ,
    • Selina Cheng lost her job after refusing to withdraw from the election for the position of chair of the Hong Kong Journalists Association.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (95%)
    The author makes an appeal to authority when she states that 'the Global Times, a Chinese state mouthpiece, said it had a spotty history of colluding with separatist politicians and instigating riots in Hong Kong.' This statement does not provide any logical reasoning or evidence from the author herself, but rather relies on the assertions made by the Global Times. However, since this is not the primary focus of the article and there are no other significant fallacies present, I am scoring it a 95.
    • The Global Times, a Chinese state mouthpiece, said it had a spotty history of colluding with separatist politicians and instigating riots in Hong Kong.
  • Bias (95%)
    The author, Shibani Mahtani, demonstrates a clear bias towards press freedom and against the suppression of civil liberties in Hong Kong. She repeatedly mentions the termination of Selina Cheng as being related to her role as chair of the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) and quotes Cheng's statements about being pressured to quit. The author also mentions that other media organizations, including the New York Times and Wall Street Journal, have taken similar stances towards operating in Hong Kong due to its increasing suppression of civil liberties. The author also quotes the Global Times' criticism of the HKJA and specifically mentions Cheng's reporting for the Journal. This bias is evident throughout the article as it focuses on press freedom and censorship in Hong Kong.
    • In a statement, the HKJA said the Journal is ‘not alone’ in taking this stance and that other elected board members have been ‘pressured by their employers to stand down.’
      • The Global Times highlighted Cheng’s reporting for the Journal, which it said attacked the national security law.
        • The termination, if linked to Cheng’s position at HKJA, would be the latest indication of how even large, well-resourced international media organizations are wary about the risks of operating in Hong Kong
        • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication

        98%

        The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
        (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

        A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

        Wall St. Journal Reporter Says She Was Fired Over Hong Kong Union Role

        The Name Of The NZ Prefix. I PWA NZI.P.Was Dropped. Tiffany May Wednesday, 17 July 2024 15:20
        • Unique Points
          • Selina Cheng, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal in Hong Kong, was fired from her position.
          • Cheng was elected chair of the Hong Kong Journalists Association in June 2024.
          • The journalist claimed that her dismissal questioned The Wall Street Journal’s commitment to protecting media freedoms.
        • Accuracy
          • Selina Cheng was fired from her position at The Wall Street Journal.
          • Selina Cheng was elected chair of the Hong Kong Journalists Association in June 2024.
          • The termination may indicate how even large international media organizations are wary about operating in Hong Kong due to risks and suppression of civil liberties including press freedom.
        • Deception (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Fallacies (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Bias (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication

        84%

        The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
        (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

        A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

        Wall Street Journal fires new chair of Hong Kong Journalists Association

        theguardian.com Article URL: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/13/ pakistan-·coalition-·agrees-to-form-government Amy Hawkins Wednesday, 17 July 2024 15:23
        • Unique Points
          • Selina Cheng, the chair of the Hong Kong Journalists Association, was fired by the Wall Street Journal after being appointed to the position.
          • Cheng believes her termination was linked to her taking up the position at the HKJA and was pressured not to stand for election.
          • The HKJA is a key advocate for independent journalism in Hong Kong and has been under increasing pressure from the Chinese government.
        • Accuracy
          • Selina Cheng was fired by the Wall Street Journal after being appointed to the position of chair of the Hong Kong Journalists Association.
          • Cheng believes her termination is related to her role as chair of the HKJA and claims she came under pressure from her employer to quit.
          • The journalist claimed that her dismissal questioned The Wall Street Journal’s commitment to protecting media freedoms.
        • Deception (50%)
          The article is deceptive in the way it presents the Wall Street Journal's actions towards Selina Cheng. It implies that her termination was directly linked to her taking up the position at the HKJA, when in fact, according to The Guardian's sources, she was told that standing for election for chair of the union would be incompatible with her employment at WSJ. The article also does not disclose that Cheng's role is being moved out of Hong Kong. These omissions create a misleading narrative about the reasons behind Cheng's termination.
          • The chair of the Hong Kong Journalists Association has been fired by her employer, the Wall Street Journal...
          • Cheng said she was pressed by her employer not to stand for election for chair of the union, and was told that the role would be “incompatible with my employment at the Wall Street Journal”.
          • When she was fired on Wednesday, Cheng was told that it was due to restructuring.
        • Fallacies (85%)
          The article contains a few informal fallacies and an example of inflammatory rhetoric. The author quotes Cheng's statement about being 'appalled' by her termination, which is an emotional response rather than a factual assertion. Additionally, the author uses inflammatory language when describing Chinese state media as 'propaganda outlets'. Lastly, there are instances of appeals to authority and dichotomous depictions.
          • Selina Cheng said she was “appalled”...
          • The author describes Chinese state media as 'propaganda outlets'...
          • The HKJA is described as 'one of Hong Kong’s last remaining civil society groups...' and later as 'a key advocate for both local and international journalists working in Hong Kong.' These are dichotomous depictions.
          • The author quotes an anonymous Dow Jones spokesperson: “The Wall Street Journal has been and continues to be a fierce and vocal advocate for press freedom in Hong Kong and around the world.” This is an appeal to authority.
          • The HKJA said other potential candidates for board positions had been pressed by their employers to stand down. The author does not provide evidence or sources for this claim.
        • Bias (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication

        98%

        The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
        (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

        A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

        The head of Hong Kong's leading journalist group says she lost WSJ job after refusing to drop role

        The Associated Press News Wednesday, 17 July 2024 12:40
        • Unique Points
          • Selina Cheng, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, lost her job after refusing to withdraw from the election for the position of chair of the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA).
          • Cheng believes her termination is related to her role as chair of the HKJA and claims she came under pressure from her employer to quit the association.
          • The day before the HKJA election, Cheng’s supervisors directed her to withdraw her candidacy and leave the association’s board, which she declined.
        • Accuracy
          • Selina Cheng was terminated by the Wall Street Journal shortly after she was elected as chair of the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA).
          • The journalist claimed that her dismissal questioned The Wall Street Journal’s commitment to protecting media freedoms.
        • Deception (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Fallacies (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Bias (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication