NY NewsGuild Pushes Back On Criticism From Some Times' Reporters

The NewsGuild of New York has responded to a group of New York Times members that bashed the Guild for appearing to defend criticism of the paper’s trans coverage.

By flagging management’s condemnation of a Times contributors’ letter as a workplace issue, the NewsGuild president said, the union was merely trying to protect employees from punishment for speaking out against their employer.

The letter from NewsGuild-NY President Susan DeCarava to the group of reporters, obtained and reviewed by The Daily Beast, said the union wasn’t trying to wade into any of the debate surrounding the Times’ trans coverage. Instead, the NewsGuild said it wanted to ensure management won’t discipline those who attached their name to an open letter denouncing the paper’s handling of trans issues. 

“Affirming that an allegation is protected speech is not an endorsement of that allegation,” she wrote. “If any member is disciplined for signing the NYT Letter, they will have Guild representation. The same is true if any member were to face discipline for the coverage that was the subject of the NYT Contributor’s Letter.”

DeCarava reiterated that “It is unlawful for an employer to threaten employees for having raised such concerns or to discourage other employees from doing so in the future.” She further railed against Times brass’ “broadly framed threat of reprisal" against employees who attached their names to the memos.

Some Guild members who signed the letter critical of their paper’s coverage have been called in for questioning, with disciplinary proceedings apparently under discussion, a person familiar with the matter told The Daily Beast.

DeCarava’s letter followed a Tuesday memo from more than 80 Times Guild members admonishing the union for seemingly attacking the paper’s journalistic process by defending external and internal criticism of its trans coverage. DeCarava assured those members that the union will not take a position on whether or not some of Times’ coverage of trans issues has been appropriate.

“This is a matter of editorial policy about which the Guild does not take a position,” DeCarava wrote in her response. “Be assured, however, that the Guild will represent every member without fear or favor as they navigate that process within their respective workplace.”