Rebecca Rainey, Bloomberg Industry Group guild chair, issued the following statement:
This provision is unique and it is special. For all the wrong reasons. It is an embarrassment to the history of excellent journalism produced by INDG and BNA before it. To the newsroom and content employees, this is an attempt by management to control what content and especially news, its employees produce. It’s an affront to our readers, your customers, and literally you, David, who rely on our journalism.
This provision binds journalists to only produce content management likes, under fear they may be discharged for independent journalism. Non-independent journalism isn’t journalism. A free press means an independent press. Independent from any interests–external or internal. Without those fundamental principles, journalism isn’t journalism. We have heard a unanimous position from our members: we will not accept a contract that strips them of the protections they need to do their jobs. Moreover, we heard from the NewsGuild, and they will not approve a contract that includes this language.
This provision raises a number of concerns ranging from could a reporter be fired for typos or errors their editor introduces to will employees be fired simply because an editor doesn’t like them. We find it hard to believe that any situations that this provision might cover can’t be solved by progressive discipline or gross misconduct. Moreover, we see no reason why an arbiter is any less qualified to weigh in on if editorial polices are applied consistently than requirements for coders or a sales rep.
Management has the right to change its business model from journalism to paid content if it likes. Just don’t pretend or insult the generations of journalists who have worked at this storied institution by calling what you propose, to still be journalism. We, as the guild made up of journalists and content creators, ask that you withdraw this provision in order to maintain our newsrooms nearly century’s old legacy of independent journalism.
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