Hong Kong: IFJ calls for independent review of practices at BBC Hong Kong bureau

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has expressed serious concern over the dismissal of five journalists at the British Broadcasting Corporation's (BBC) Hong Kong bureau following years of alleged bullying and reports of pressure on BBC staff over their participation in the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA), an affiliate of the IFJ.

The headquarters of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in London. Credit: Susannah Ireland / AFP

Five long-serving journalists were dismissed with immediate effect as redundancies on June 17, after being kept behind at a staff event. According to IFJ monitoring, the journalists were given two working days to sign settlement agreements and told that, if they declined, the BBC would withdraw its pension contributions and offset them against redundancy payments. Some of those dismissed had previously raised concerns about reported bullying and workplace conditions they believed affected the bureau's editorial standards. Similar positions were advertised externally within a week of the dismissals.

The IFJ is particularly concerned by reports that BBC staff elected to the HKJA's board stood down from those positions following pressure from regional management in 2024. The right of journalists to organise and to hold office in their union is fundamental and protected under Hong Kong's Employment Ordinance. In a city where press freedom has sharply declined, the HKJA remains the last organisation defending journalists, and obstructing participation in it leaves journalists without protection.

On June 17, the HKJA formally requested that the BBC commission an independent investigation into the bureau's leadership, management practices and workplace culture. More than a month later, no independent investigation has been commissioned.

The IFJ supports its affiliate's call and urges the BBC to commission an independent review of the Hong Kong bureau, with published findings, examining the June dismissal process and settlement terms, the treatment of staff who raised concerns, and staff freedom to participate in trade union activity.

The IFJ said: "The BBC rightly holds others to account on press freedom and workers' rights; its own conduct must meet the same standard. Journalists who raise concerns about their workplace should never find themselves dismissed, and no employer should stand between journalists and their union."