Category: News

Mind the gap: Uncovering pay disparity in the newsroom

Aug. 23, 2018 – Excellent piece from The Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) on gender pay disparities in newsrooms. Put together by several members of AAJA it primarily focuses on our union efforts in seven of our large locals. It appears that this fight for equal pay just won’t go away. These efforts should inspire every union local to request pay data and either analyze it themselves, or get help through The NewsGuild-CWA. There is also some information on non-union environments. Remember too that every journalists is welcome to join one of the journalist associations. They are all actively pursuing anti-discrimination efforts.

https://voices.aaja.org/index/2018/8/8/pay-equity

The NewsGuild-CWA statement on the president, August 16, 2018

Washington, DC, August 16, : Journalists are on the front lines in a war on freedom of the press because President Trump has taken every opportunity possible to impugn our craft, our mission, our publications – us. But he has gone beyond simply calling us names and discrediting us. Never one to know a limit, Trump’s hatred and disdain, and the way he expresses them, have become dangerous.

We have believed for some time that the president’s words will result in physical attacks on journalists. Words have consequences.

We are a community of serious journalists, constantly seeking truth and disclosing falsehoods. The president doesn’t share our goals and generally does everything he can not only to obscure the truth, but also to disparage the truth tellers.

We believe this atrocious behavior has to be seen for what it is – reckless and endangering.

The Boston Globe has called on fellow news organizations to speak out today. They think enough is enough. We do, too.

This is not a political statement based on disagreements. We like a good disagreement and strong discussion. Our words are harsh but they need to be.  They reflect the hatred that President Trump has fomented against us and our profession.

We will continue to cover the news related to this president and do so in an objective, fair way. But we cannot be silent when he has dubbed us “the enemy of the people,” a term used previously by dictators.

We want a civil society where people receive trusted, credible news. We will continue our mission. But we all must recognize this president as the “clear and present danger” that he is. Dictators typically attack both unions and a free press on their way to more heinous actions. On this day, Aug. 16, 2018, this union of journalists stands in solidarity with all who call out President Donald Trump for his deplorable attempts to weaken a free press and the FIRST Amendment.

Minneapolis hires firm to investigate how draft report on ketamine use was leaked – Guild supports petition to stop the investigation

The Star Tribune’s Andy Mannix broke a story about cops ordering emergency workers to sedate suspects with a powerful tranquilizer called Ketamine. This was done without their consent. The city has opted to hire a law firm at $275 an hour to investigate the leak. In fairness, the city also hired Sally Yates to investigate the use of the drug. See the attached story but also sign the petition against the investigation. 

Story is here: http://www.startribune.com/minneapolis-city-hires-firm-to-investigate-how-draft-report-on-ketamine-use-was-leaked/489683071/

Petition against the investigation is here:

https://www.change.org/p/support-the-first-amendment-stop-the-minneapolis-leak-investigation?recruiter=35762257&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=share_petition

Journalists at The Florida Times-Union vote union

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 19, 2018

Contact:
Dean Olsen, NewsGuild organizing consultant, at (217) 836-1068 or newsguildflorida@gmail.com

JACKSONVILLE, Florida — By a 2-to-1 margin, journalists at The Florida Times-Union voted Thursday to form a union, becoming only the third unionized newsroom staff in the Sunshine State. Continue reading “Journalists at The Florida Times-Union vote union”

Show your support for the Capital Gazette workers

(Handout/Reuters)

Guild leaders, colleagues and friends are asking what is being done to support the families of the five people killed last week in the newsroom of the Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland.

Killed were Gerald Fischman, Robert Hiaasen, John McNamara, Rebecca Smith and Wendi Winters, who were gunned down in their newsroom on June 28. The man arrested had held a grudge against the newspaper for several years. Continue reading “Show your support for the Capital Gazette workers”

NewsGuild Statement on Tragic Shooting at Capital Gazette

 June 29, 2018 – Following is the statement issued by the NewsGuild-CWA on yesterday’s tragic shooting at the Capital Gazette in Annapolis:

A gunman with a vendetta against the newspaper shot and killed five employees of the Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland. These employees didn’t do their jobs for the money or the glory. Few of us do, but that’s especially true at a local newspaper where journalism is a community service. Continue reading “NewsGuild Statement on Tragic Shooting at Capital Gazette”

An annotated transcript of DFM’s COO and President explaining their management

Here’s a transcript of the meeting between Digital First Media management and employees at the Denver Post on June 19. DFM’s chief operation officer Guy Gilmore and DFM board chair Joseph Fuchs were the main speakers. The meeting took place days after several exiting Denver Post employees announced they are forming a new Denver news website, and it was several months after the “Denver rebellion” garnered headlines and TV news coverage across the nation. —more—

Targeting Jeff Bezos? Post employees want to share in success.

The Washington-Baltimore NewsGuild continues to negotiate with the Bezos-owned Washington Post. From the Vanity Fair piece (click headline above): The new economy’s archetypal disrupter was a dead-tree media hero for saving the paper. But now his journalists want a bigger cut. “Bezos has done amazing things for this place,” says one staffer. “But the disaffection with Silicon Valley monopolies may be coming home to roost.”