The days of pounding out a story at a typewriter and leaving after deadline are long gone. Journalists today are under 24/7/365 pressure to produce multi-media content, develop a social media presence, build an audience and maintain journalistic integrity, all while covering the basics of reporting.
Media companies want us to believe that “exposure" is payment enough. We think that’s outrageous.
The NewsGuild has spent decades raising the employment standards at media companies large and small, across all platforms. We know from experience that the future of good journalism depends on the ability to build a career that sustains you economically and professionally. The NewsGuild is the union that helps journalists come together to demand better.
Join us!
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NewsGuild Members
In Their Own Words
Richard Perez-Pena
Reporter,
New York Times
"I've worked in non-union shops where the pay was lousy, the benefits were lousy, there was no protection from the whims of bosses, there wasn't much camaraderie among the employees, and people couldn't wait to move on. I know that I and the people around me are better off dealing with management as part of a unified team with rights, rather than as individuals with little power, who can be played off against each other."
Erik Piepenburg
Senior Theater Editor,
New York Times
"So much of the digital world involves being on call for what feels like 24-hours-a-day, with a news cycle that never stops. One of the biggest differences for me and my digital colleagues is that the NewsGuild has our back, understands the need for a balance between work and life, and makes sure we’re properly compensated for the time that we work. Being represented by the Guild has made a huge difference for us."
Hilary Russ
Journalist,
Reuters
“One of the NewsGuild’s biggest strengths is that they understand the journalism business so well. We all want to do the best journalism we can. And it’s important to know that it’s not just about a contract… the Guild wants to make sure that their journalists are doing the best work that they can. And that’s important to me because I care about the quality of the work that I do.”
The NewsGuild is the union for news professionals in America’s media capital. We represent 3,000 journalists and media professionals, including nearly 2,000 digital employees, working in the New York area and in bureaus around the country. Our mission is to advance the economic interests and improve the working conditions of our members, to encourage equal employment and advancement opportunities, and to raise the standards of journalism and ethics in the industry.
Fearless, Dedicated Advocates
The NewsGuild has always been about great journalism. For over 80 years we have been the advocate for people in the news and media business. It's a commitment The NewsGuild makes to every member to maintain high standards and continue to provide thousands of journalists a voice in the workplace.
Experience + Strength
With strategic, collective action our members, the largest community of media professionals in the country has experienced success across all publishing platforms. For example, we brought pay parity to the New York Times digital staff, which raised wages significantly. At the Daily Beast, we made sure reporters’ compensation matched their hours worked.
Anticipating the Future
The NewsGuild strives for contracts that are platform agnostic. Journalists at El Diario produce stories for print, web and mobile applications. By focusing on the work that they do, instead of where it is published, future innovations in content delivery will also be covered by the terms of their Guild contract.