New York Times: How a New Breed of Union Activists Is Changing the Rules (and Newsrooms)

As the coronavirus crisis wreaked havoc in the news business last month, the newly installed president of the most prominent journalists’ union in the country, the NewsGuild, crossed a line that once seemed unimaginable: He asked the government for money.

The guild’s leaders voted to request “public financing for journalism.” In doing so, they set aside worries from traditionalists at publications including this one, where the chief White House correspondent, Peter Baker, told me he worried about “blurring the lines” by asking for help from officials he covers.

But the union leaders argue that any ethical unease or philosophical debate needs to take a back seat right now to securing members’ jobs, given the forces now threatening to destroy journalism.

“One thing we can’t remain objective about is our own demise,” said Jon Schleuss, the president of the NewsGuild, who took on the role last December.

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