Press group says 5 journalists dismissed at BBC Hong Kong amid bullying claims, urges review

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has urged the BBC to investigate reports of bullying at its Hong Kong bureau after five long-serving journalists were dismissed.

According to the press group, five journalists were made redundant on June 17. They were given two working days to sign a settlement after being kept behind at a staff event, the IFJ said. It added that, if the journalists declined, the BBC had threatened to withdraw pension contributions to offset their 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’s statement said on Tuesday.

It urged the British broadcaster to commission an independent review of the Hong Kong bureau, adding that a previous request by the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) for an investigation was ignored.

HKFP has reached out to the BBC for comment.

Press union controversy

The press freedom NGO also raised concerns about reports that a BBC journalist stood down from the HKJA’s management committee shortly after being elected “following pressure from regional management in 2024.”

According to the HKJA website, the BBC’s Hong Kong correspondent Danny Vincent stepped down from the committee, despite journalists having the right to join a union under the city’s Employment Ordinance.

“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,” the IFJ said.

The BBC officially launched its Hong Kong bureau in 2019 with 20 journalists and 11 staff, according to Marketing Interactive.

It produces English, Mandarin, and Cantonese material, and is currently recruiting for an assistant editor at its Chinese service in the city.