OLD Media Moves

Wired’s union blasts Conde Nast for meager severance

Wired’s editorial union has fired off a letter to Condé Nast CEO Roger Lynch blasting the company for its coronavirus severance packages after a majority of editorial staffers last month indicated that they want the News Guild of New York to be their bargaining agent, reports Keith Kelly of the New York Post.

Kelly reports, “‘We were deeply disappointed to learn that many of our laid off colleagues were offered meager or nonexistent severance packages, even though in your letter to the company on Wednesday (5/13) you stated that ‘supporting people in their transition was of utmost importance,’’ said the letter, which drew support from three other unionized Condé brands: The New Yorker, Ars Technica and Pitchfork.

“The union also blasted the company for its treatment of freelancers:

“‘Our freelancer and subcontractor colleagues, some of whom worked for WIRED full time for years in a shameful two-tier system, were left with no severance pay or health coverage whatsoever in the middle of a pandemic that has caused the worst economic downturn in generations.’

“After a first round of cuts unveiled in late April that resulted in pay reductions, the magazine publisher followed up last week by axing nearly 100 employees in the US, where about half of its 6,000 worldwide employees work.”

Read more here.

Chris Roush

Chris Roush was the dean of the School of Communications at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. He was previously Walter E. Hussman Sr. Distinguished Professor in business journalism at UNC-Chapel Hill. He is a former business journalist for Bloomberg News, Businessweek, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Tampa Tribune and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. He is the author of the leading business reporting textbook "Show me the Money: Writing Business and Economics Stories for Mass Communication" and "Thinking Things Over," a biography of former Wall Street Journal editor Vermont Royster.

Recent Posts

Indianapolis Biz Journal seeks a news editor

The Indianapolis Business Journal is looking for our next news editor, a role that focuses…

6 hours ago

Axios hires Berkowitz as ME for media and markets coverage

Axios has chosen Ben Berkowitz to be its next managing editor of business and markets.…

11 hours ago

Business Insider hires Ortega as director of newsroom operations

Business Insider editor in chief Jamie Heller sent out the following on Monday: I'm thrilled…

11 hours ago

Rest of World promotes Chandran to deputy editor

Rest of World editor in chief Anup Kaphle sent out the following on Monday: We are excited…

12 hours ago

FT hires Venugopal as India newsletter editor

The Financial Times has hired Veena Venugopal as its India newsletter editor. She has been working at…

12 hours ago

FT taps Parkin to be Middle East and Africa news editor

Benjamin Parkin has been named Middle East and Africa news editor at the Financial Times, based…

15 hours ago