NewsGuild to congressional leaders: News coverage must be a priority in the next stimulus package

For Immediate Release: April 9, 2020
Contact: Sally Davidow | sdavidow@cwa-union.org

‘More Americans will die’ if they cannot access critical information

The NewsGuild-CWA told congressional leaders that public funding to continue news coverage must be a priority in the next stimulus package, writing on Thursday, “More Americans will die” if they cannot access the critical information news outlets provide.

“As the nation shelters indoors, Americans are turning to local, regional and national news in record numbers for life-saving information,” NewsGuild President Jon Schleuss wrote in a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

“Many publications have lowered digital paywalls to provide COVID-19 coverage for free,” Schleuss wrote. “At the same time, the news industry is seeing plummeting ad revenue created by business closures.

“At this moment when Americans need reliable, community-focused coverage, we risk losing it all,” he warned.

Read the full letter here.

The loss of revenue is already devastating local news coverage. News outlets across the country have cut staff significantly and furloughed employees. Some have reduced publication and distribution, or stopped publishing altogether. In New Orleans, which is facing one of the most dire outbreaks of COVID-19 in the nation, the local paper has seen online readership quadruple, even as a decline in revenue led to the furlough of 10 percent of the staff.

“This is the worst possible time to eliminate or weaken crucial sources of local information, given the rapid spread of the virus, the frequently changing directives from governments and the urgent need to update information about sources of assistance,” Schleuss said. 

Funding recipients must remain independent of partisan influence, he said, but, he added, “Failing to protect our local news literally puts lives at risk.” 

To protect the news industry’s ability to continue serving the public, the NewsGuild said Congress should adopt measures that include:

  • A publicly financed fund to support newsrooms and media workers to prevent layoffs furloughs and pay cuts;
  • Requirements that news outlets receiving aid remain independent from partisan influence, demonstrate a need for the assistance, report on how funds have been spent and be prohibited from engaging in mergers and acquisitions resulting in job losses, leveraged buyouts and anti-union activity, and from using funds for executive bonuses, stock buybacks or dividends;
  • A prohibition on job cuts by participating companies;
  • Requirements that recipient companies provide ongoing information on staff diversity;
  • Ensuring that one-quarter of seats on boards of directors be held by non-management employees at recipient publications;
  • A separate mechanism to establish a Small Business Administration program of no-interest loans for the creation of news start-ups, including nonprofits and employee-owned co-ops;
  • Tax deductibility for the cost of subscriptions to any news product;
  • Incentives for local ownership to encourage chains to sell to local owners and community interests;
  • A nationwide federal advertising program to promote public health, participation in the federal census and other topics of national interest.

“Communities across the country are in dire need of assistance to preserve access to life-saving news. By enacting the support package described above, you can protect that access and keep communities connected during this crisis,” Schleuss wrote.

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The NewsGuild-CWA represents more than 24,000 journalists and other media workers in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. The Guild is a sector of the 700,000-member Communications Workers of America.

Seeking a voice in the workplace, journalists of South Bend Tribune announce union campaign

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 15, 2020

Contact:
Justin Hawkins at 812-797-7345 or sbnewsguild@gmail.com

SOUTH BEND, Indiana  — The award-winning newsroom staff of the South Bend Tribune took a major step Wednesday toward forming a union to give a voice in the workplace to journalists who keep the community informed and who hold local leaders accountable. Continue reading “Seeking a voice in the workplace, journalists of South Bend Tribune announce union campaign”

Southern Poverty Law Center Staff Vote to Unionize

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dec. 17, 2019
Contact: union.splc@gmail.com

The SPLC Union Organizing Committee is excited to announce that its effort to unionize the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has prevailed. On December 16, 2019, the National Labor Relations Board conducted a ballot count. A majority of staff across 11 offices in five states and Washington D.C. voted in favor of representation by the Washington-Baltimore News Guild. The SPLC Union won the election by an overwhelming majority, 142 to 45. Continue reading “Southern Poverty Law Center Staff Vote to Unionize”

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”

Arizona Republic Newsroom Votes to Unionize

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 10, 2019

Contact: Arizona Republic Guild
azrepublicguild@gmail.com

PHOENIX — Today, the journalists of The Arizona Republic voted to unionize with the NewsGuild-CWA. The vote was 64 to 30 out of a bargaining unit of 101 people.

 After one of the most aggressive anti-union campaigns in recent memory in the media industry, an overwhelming majority of the newsroom chose to unite to protect benefits, improve working conditions and win a seat at the table. A looming merger between Republic parent company Gannett and GateHouse Media aims to cut $300 million or more. Continue reading “Arizona Republic Newsroom Votes to Unionize”

As GateHouse-Gannett Merger Looms, NewsGuild-CWA Takes Message to GateHouse Readers: Preserve Our Local News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 10, 2019

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The NewsGuild-CWA will take its campaign to “Preserve Our Local News” to readers on Thursday when it distributes flyers outside more than 50 GateHouse newspapers across 14 states. Continue reading “As GateHouse-Gannett Merger Looms, NewsGuild-CWA Takes Message to GateHouse Readers: Preserve Our Local News”

Journalists at The Columbian announce union organizing campaign

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, Sept. 30

Contact: Nathan Howard
Columbian staff photographer
thecolumbianguild@gmail.com
(425) 802-3560

Brad Sherman
Pacific Northwest Newspaper Guild
guild37082@gmail.com
(808) 276-1878

Journalists at The Columbian
announce union organizing campaign

VANCOUVER, Wash. – Journalists at The Columbian newspaper on Monday announced plans to unionize together as The Columbian Guild. Continue reading “Journalists at The Columbian announce union organizing campaign”

Citing ‘overwhelming majority’ support, Arizona Republic Guild seeks voluntary recognition from Gannett, files for election with NLRB

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 16, 2019

Contact: Arizona Republic Guild
azrepublicguild@gmail.com

Citing support from an “overwhelming majority” of workers, a delegation of newsroom employees officially asked Gannett to voluntarily recognize the Arizona Republic Guild as a unit of The NewsGuild-CWA today. Recognizing the union would set the stage for contract negotiations to begin. Continue reading “Citing ‘overwhelming majority’ support, Arizona Republic Guild seeks voluntary recognition from Gannett, files for election with NLRB”

Arizona Republic Newsroom Staff Announce Plan to Unionize

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 4, 2019

Contact: Arizona Republic Guild
azrepublicguild@gmail.com 

PHOENIX — The Pulitzer Prize-winning newsroom of The Arizona Republic officially announced Wednesday its journalists are taking steps to unionize the state’s paper of record to have a seat at the table as a major corporate merger looms.

Reporters, photographers, producers, columnists, copy editors and other employees have signed union authorization cards stating their desire to be voluntarily recognized or hold an election to join The NewsGuild-CWA.

Continue reading “Arizona Republic Newsroom Staff Announce Plan to Unionize”