Press Releases | The NewsGuild

Screenshot of letter from Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Frank Pallone

Statement on Pelosi’s call for tougher scrutiny of TEGNA takeover

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact (202) 434-1175

The following statement can be attributed to NewsGuild-CWA President Jon Schleuss:

NewsGuild-CWA members are thankful that Speaker Pelosi and Chairman Pallone have joined us in calling on the FCC to scrutinize the takeover attempt of TEGNA, one of the largest producers of local TV news. Hedge fund Standard General, backed by anonymous investors located in the Cayman Islands and elsewhere in the world, will treat TEGNA as just another part of its portfolio of casinos, cruise lines and other non-media properties.

The Speaker and Chairman rarely weigh in on cases like this, but their letter shows that they understand the threat posed by predators like Standard General.

Local news is being murdered by Wall Street firms who are only interested in cutting jobs to finance their debt. The FCC can stop this deal, protect local news and permit our members to serve the public with high quality local news.

The letter from the Speaker and the Chairman is just one more reason the FCC should closely examine this deal and then block it in its entirety. There are no concessions Standard General can make that would turn this deal into one which serves the public interest. As the union of America’s journalists and media workers, we proclaim that it’s time for private equity to stop slaughtering our country’s free press.

About The NewsGuild-CWA

The NewsGuild is the largest union of journalists and media workers in North America, representing about 27,000 workers in media, the public sector at nonprofits and other labor unions. The Guild is one of the fastest growing unions on the continent and is a sector of the Communications Workers of America (CWA), which represents workers in telecommunications and information technology, the airline industry, health care, public service and education, manufacturing and other fields.

Washington Post Guild releases 2022 pay study and powerful new report from Black employees

Study finds “The Washington Post still operates with systems that perpetuate inequalities.”

After almost two years of work by a team of dedicated union members, the Post Guild’s 2022 Pay, Diversity and Retention Study and Black Caucus testimonial report were released Wednesday.

These reports build upon work the Guild presented in its 2019 pay study, with additional data, striking testimonials and detailed analysis that support a growing concern shared across employees at the company: The Washington Post still operates with systems that perpetuate inequalities.

Condé Nast employees form company-wide union covering 500+ workers, call for voluntary recognition

Union represents editorial, video, and production workers across all Condé Nast’s brands that haven’t already unionized, including Vogue, Bon Appétit, Vanity Fair, Architectural Digest, and GQ

Workers slam Condé Nast for low pay, lack of diversity and equity, heavy reliance on contract workers, and absence of clear standards for performance evaluation and career development

In a major step forward for workers organizing in the media industry, employees of Condé Nast’s editorial brands and Condé Nast Entertainment announced Tuesday the formation of Condé Nast Union, demanding voluntary recognition from management.

BuzzFeed News Union to management: The era of unilateral decisions is over

Following the announcement Monday from BuzzFeed CEO Jonah Peretti that the company plans to drastically shrink its news division and offer voluntary buyouts to employees, the BuzzFeed News Union, represented by The NewsGuild of New York, released the following statement:

Journalism bill pushed by media execs needs improvements

On Wednesday the Senate heard testimony on legislation that would exempt media companies from antitrust laws and allow them to collectively negotiate for advertising revenue lost to Google and Facebook.

The NewsGuild praises the bipartisan coalition in Congress that is deeply concerned about the current state of local news in America, but wants to make sure that any legislation is focused on supporting and increasing local news jobs.

Statement on Tribune Shareholders Vote from NewsGuild’s Tribune newsrooms

NewsGuild units at the papers of Tribune Publishing issued the following joint statement on the vote by shareholders regarding the takeover by Alden Global Capital.

Today, Tribune Publishing shareholders voted to put profit and greed over local news in our country.

While we are saddened by the turn of events, we know that our work over the past year — to build allies in the community and to raise awareness about Alden — is not in vain. Those allies will support us as we fight against Alden to protect local news and the cuts that they will inevitably try to make.

NewsGuild calls on Treasury Secretary Yellen to review Alden’s proposed acquisition of Tribune

For immediate release

Contact: Sally Davidow
sdavidow@cwa-union.org

The NewsGuild-CWA today called on Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to conduct a review of the proposed acquisition of Tribune Publishing by Alden Global Capital, a hedge fund that is notorious in the news industry as a bad actor.

Alden Global Capital, known for plundering newspapers, plans to expand ownership of Tribune Publishing

For Immediate Release

Contact: Sally Davidow, sdavidow@cwa-union.org

Move is latest Alden ploy in a larger effort to gut newsrooms across the country, detailed in new, comprehensive report

NewsGuild-CWA Outlines Path for Industry’s Survival

Sept. 11, 2020 – Alden Global Capital, the hedge fund known for pillaging newspapers, plans to expand its ownership stake in Tribune Publishing as soon as Jan. 1 and is shifting its business strategy to focus on digital subscriptions, according to internal company documents obtained by DFMworkers.org. Alden currently owns a 32 percent stake in the company and its hand-picked directors hold three of Tribune’s seven board seats. One is held by Alden’s patriarch and founder, Randall Smith. Continue reading “Alden Global Capital, known for plundering newspapers, plans to expand ownership of Tribune Publishing”

CWA, NewsGuild join ACLU class-action complaint against Minneapolis, Minnesota law enforcement agencies

Suit accuses officials of deliberately targeting journalists in violation of First Amendment

Updated June 10, 2020, 11 a.m. – Judge Wilhelmina M. Wright issued an order last night denying the motion for a Temporary Restraining Order and for class certification. We are still digesting the ruling, but it is clearly a disappointment. The Court did not consider the amended complaint in making its decision. Fortunately, both motions were denied without prejudice. “We will continue the fight,” said NewsGuild President Jon Schleuss.

June 9, 2020 – The Communications Workers of America and The NewsGuild-CWA joined a class-action lawsuit on Monday against Minneapolis and Minnesota law enforcement agencies, accusing them of deliberately targeting, assaulting, and arresting journalists as they covered protests following the police killing of George Floyd. The lawsuit, initiated by the ACLU-MN, was filed in U.S. District Court in Minnesota on June 3. Continue reading “CWA, NewsGuild join ACLU class-action complaint against Minneapolis, Minnesota law enforcement agencies”

NewsGuild calls on news organizations to commit to fair union elections

For Immediate Release
March 9, 2020

Contact:
Sally Davidow at sdavidow@cwa-union.org

The NewsGuild, a sector of the Communications Workers of America (CWA), is calling on the country’s major corporate newspaper chains to commit to a set of ground rules that will ensure free and fair union elections for their employees. Continue reading “NewsGuild calls on news organizations to commit to fair union elections”