We’re fighting a recent attempt to allow broadcast monopolies across the United States, joining a broad coalition to challenge a recent order by the Federal Communications Commission.
Under legislation approved by Congress over 20 years ago, television station owners are currently prohibited from reaching over 39% of the U.S. national audience. When the FCC repealed that rule on October 1, it violated the law and that Congressional mandate.
Consolidation in the news industry is a driving reason we have lost tens of thousands of journalism jobs in the U.S. in the past 20 years. The current FCC has radically shifted to support more consolidation and monopolies, especially ones that are friendly to the Trump administration.
Our emergency petition follows other actions by the Guild to fight media consolidation and attacks on journalists by the current administration. We’ve sued the Trump administration five times over violations to the First Amendment and other Congressional mandates. And we destroyed an $8.6 billion takeover attempt of broadcaster TEGNA by hedge fund Standard General.
This is not normal work for our union, however, we have to fight for our right to exist and to do our jobs safely. We have to fight to defend everyone’s right to free speech and a free press.
Journalists at two newspapers in Ohio are withholding their bylines to protest an AI chatbot that’s being implemented on their stories. Workers at the Akron Beacon Journal and Kent Ravenna Record-Courier say that the DeeperDive tool poses editorial integrity concerns and that it violates their parent company’s standards.
USA Today Co., the owner of both newspapers, requires a “human in the loop” when using AI tools under their corporate policy. But DeeperDive gets slapped on stories without any human oversight. And, sure enough, it consistently makes things up. For example, last week, it substituted the name of a murder suspect with the reporter covering the case.
You can support the workers by signing the petition demanding that USA Today Co. pause the use of DeeperDive.
Workers at the St. Paul Pioneer Press are fighting for AI protections in their contract but the outlet’s vulture fund-owned parent company (Alden Global Capital) keeps rejecting those common-sense proposals.
Guild members proposed guardrails ensuring that AI-generated content doesn’t appear under a reporter’s byline and is clearly labeled and reviewed by a human. If you don’t want AI slop in our local news, tell the leadership of the Pioneer Press as much.
The Tribune company is also refusing to include their own AI policy in union contracts. This means that management would have sole control over how AI is used.
You can help Tribune workers by sending a letter to management asking for strong AI protection at the Orlando Sentinel, Hartford Courant, The Virginian-Pilot, The Morning Call, Suburban Chicago Tribune, Tribune Content Agency and Design and Production Studio.
Workers at Embarcadero Media Foundation publications have secured a strong first contract, three years after unionizing. Their wins include a median 10% wage increase, just cause, severance, better healthcare benefits and AI protections.
“This deal is the result of countless hours of work from former and current members and staff at Pacific Media Workers Guild, and we’re proud to see these long sought-after benefits and protections being implemented for our newsroom,” said Julia Brown, the unit’s chair.
The journalists of the Arizona Daily Star are unionizing following USA Today Co.’s purchase of the newspaper. 95% of eligible workers, who are organizing with the Media Guild of the West, signed union cards. They are advocating for a living wage, an end to unjustified staff reductions, more affordable health insurance, AI protections and more. Last week, USA Today Co. refused to voluntarily recognize their union, so workers are gearing up towards an election.
“While the Star is locally profitable, averaging $8.5 million in annual net income over the past decade, our staff has suffered from stagnant or declining wages and repeated layoffs that have shrunk our newsroom to a skeleton crew,” workers said.
The workers of the CommonWealth Beacon organized with The Providence Newspaper Guild. The newly-formed union swiftly won voluntary recognition from the non-profit digital news organization, which covers Massachusetts politics.
“To get truly impactful reporting that educates the public and holds power to account, you need journalists who can develop expertise, build out sourcing, and refine their craft with a sense of stability,” said Chris Lisinski, a senior reporter.
Our union’s first major strike began in the winter of 1934 and one woman, who was the church editor, helped lead it. She was one of the first women to be elected local president and then elected as an international vice president to the Guild. She helped workers negotiate the first Guild contract in Georgia. And she was fired illegally for her union activity. She fought for years to get her job back and her story is worth a read. Agnes Fahy gives us important advice 85 years later.
Workers at the Times Union held an informational picket earlier this month to demand a fair contract. Union members at the Albany-based newspaper have been without a contract for 18 years. Yes, you read that right. 18 years. It’s time for Hearst management to start bargaining in good faith.
Last week I attended the International Federation of Journalists Executive Committee meetings over two days. It was my first meeting on the ExCom since being elected this summer to represent journalists across North America. I provided updates from the United States to more than two dozen leaders from journalist trade unions from across the planet. And I heard from other leaders. The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate shared that they’ll be starting a new fundraising drive to support media solidarity centers. These were set up in the Gaza Strip to provide internet, electricity and safe spaces for journalists to work.
Also, our union family at Radio-Canada in Quebec (STTRC) signed a new four-year collective agreement with a clause recognizing the human value of labor and treating artificial intelligence as a tool rather than a substitute for human labor. Their strong win will help our Canadian Broadcasting Corporation members at the CMG who started bargaining this month.
Our engagement with the IFJ is more important now than ever as leaders across the globe, but particularly from the United States, withdraw from global cooperation and opt instead to start wars of violence or economics. I’m proud we’re part of IFJ to support journalists around the world.
In solidarity,
Jon Schleuss
President
The NewsGuild-CWA