What would it be like for news writers/reporters to go on strike?
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What would it be like for news writers/reporters to go on strike?
 | Eric on Pay Per View Journalism |
 | Michael on Pay Per View Journalism |
 | Jess on Self-Made Reporters |
| Jess on Pakistan’s fight for pre… |
 | wolffethics on un-full disclosure |
November 12, 2007 at 11:15 pm
From your prof.
Actually, the news industry has gone through scores of strike. A strike can presage the sale or closing of the paper. Over the years — and this is rife for discussion — the power of newspaper unions have declined rapidly. This probably has a lot to do with fewer jobs and more applicants, but really, this ebbing started really in the last two decades and probably follows the decline in the power of many unions in the U.S.
Reporters at the Daily News and New York Post have struck most recently, but consider this: In the 40’s and 50’s, there were something like 8 daily newspapers in New York City, including the Herald Tribune, the Sun and others. The Guild doesn’t have much leverage when there are so few alternatives for its members. cw
November 13, 2007 at 2:01 pm
Journalists have a fight the good fight outlook, no matter the pay and conditions.
How many of us want to take internships at well-known publishers, not only because we will get the credit, but also because our work will get exposure and raise awareness of issues we’ve invested ourselves in covering?
I’m not surprised that strikes come before a sale or paper closing. I mean, look at the protests, even, of the Wall Street Journal sale to Rupert Murdoch. They were fighting for freedom and free thought, not necessarily the bottom line.
It seems journalists fight when they’re publication is in jeopardy only — not, for instance, in cases when jobs are cut or when work is farmed out to freelancers. But the latter cases are far more common.
I think that’s because journalists, and particularly print journalists, are taught — and applauded — for enduring all sorts of power, including the people paying for their ink.