Category: News

NewsGuild-CWA Denounces Alden Stake in Tribune Publishing

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Nov. 20, 2019

Washington, D.C. – The purchase by Alden Global Capital of a 25.2 percent stake in Tribune Publishing is a source of deep concern for NewsGuild-CWA members.

“Alden has single-handedly hollowed out the news organization it controls,” said NewsGuild President Bernie Lunzer. “It has liquidated assets – both real estate and employees – solely for its own benefit and without regard to the effects of its policies on news reporting in towns and cities across the country,” he said. Between 2012 and 2019, Alden cut 71 percent of Guild-represented jobs at MediaNews Group newspapers (aka Digital First Media) it controls. Continue reading “NewsGuild-CWA Denounces Alden Stake in Tribune Publishing”

NewsGuild testimony to House Financial Services Committee

Nov. 18, 2019 – NewsGuild-CWA President Bernie Lunzer submitted written testimony to the House Financial Services Committee for its Nov. 19 hearing titled, “American for Sale? An Examination of the Practices of Private Funds.”

The testimony exposes the destructive role of Alden Global Capital, which controls Digital First Media.

“The hollowing out of local news is no mere inconvenience,” Lunzer notes. “Because of the draconian cuts, many local newspapers can no longer cover city meetings, community events, school board votes or high school sports. Recent research from the University of Illinois–Chicago and the University of Notre Dame found that communities that have become “news deserts” pay higher taxes and bond rates and are at greater risk of political corruption. Other studies show lower voter turnout and increased partisanship. In other words, when the watchdogs are gone, democracy dies. Private equity has helped kill the watchdogs.”

NewsGuild joins press freedom groups seeking attorneys’ fees in FOIL case

Nov. 15, 2019 – The NewsGuild-CWA has joined the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, the Society of Professional Journalists and a coalition of more than 20 media organizations supporting a New York newspaper’s fight for attorneys’ fees after a state agency failed to promptly release documents in response to a Freedom of Information Law request. Continue reading “NewsGuild joins press freedom groups seeking attorneys’ fees in FOIL case”

The GateHouse-Gannett Merger: Bad News

Statement by NewsGuild-CWA 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Nov. 14, 2019

Washington, D.C. – “The vote by shareholders approving the merger of GateHouse Media and Gannett is bad news.

“The deal is bad for journalists, it’s bad for readers and it’s bad for the future of local journalism,” said NewsGuild-CWA President Bernie Lunzer. “Local papers will likely vanish, jobs will be slashed, and reporting will suffer.” Continue reading “The GateHouse-Gannett Merger: Bad News”

NewsGuild-CWA: GateHouse-Gannett Deal Threatens Journalism

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Nov. 8, 2019  

Washington, D.C. – The merger of GateHouse Media and Gannett poses a threat to journalism, an analysis by The NewsGuild-CWA shows.

“This merger will hurt the communities these media organizations serve,” said NewsGuild President Bernie Lunzer. “To fund the merger, local papers will likely disappear, jobs will be slashed, and journalism will suffer.” Continue reading “NewsGuild-CWA: GateHouse-Gannett Deal Threatens Journalism”

A Study of Pay at the Washington Post

This article first appeared on the website of Washington Post Guild.

By members of the Washington Post Newspaper Guild

Nov. 8, 2019 – Washington Post employees work hard every day to ensure that our company is a leader in the journalism industry. Members of our company’s union, The Washington Post Newspaper Guild, believe The Post should also lead the way in how it treats its staff.

Continue reading “A Study of Pay at the Washington Post”

Journalists of The Columbian Vote 19 to 8 to Unionize

Oct. 31, 2019 – The extraordinary wave of union organizing hit the Pacific northwest Thursday, when journalists at The Columbian in Vancouver, WA, voted 19-8 to to become the newest members of The NewsGuild-CWA. They are the second new unit to organize in the region this year, following Crosscut’s unanimous vote in July. Continue reading “Journalists of The Columbian Vote 19 to 8 to Unionize”

L.A. Times journalists ratify groundbreaking first contract

Below is a copy of the announcement that first appeared on the website of LAT Guild.

Oct. 31, 2019 – Journalists of the Los Angeles Times voted 388 to 3 on Thursday to ratify the first collective bargaining agreement in the newsroom’s 138-year history. The contract will dramatically improve the quality of life for the journalists who produce The Times as well as help lift standards across the media industry. Continue reading “L.A. Times journalists ratify groundbreaking first contract”