California's journalists do not consent to this shakedown

 

August 21, 2024

This afternoon, Google, California Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, California Governor Gavin Newsom and many of California's publishing lobbies announced "a first-in-the-nation partnership with the State, news publishers, major tech companies and philanthropy, unveiling a pair of multi-year initiatives to provide ongoing financial support to newsrooms across California and launch a National AI Accelerator."

After two years of advocacy for strong antimonopoly action to start turning around the decline of local newsrooms, we are left almost without words. The publishers who claim to represent our industry are celebrating an opaque deal involving taxpayer funds, a vague AI accelerator project that could very well destroy journalism jobs, and minimal financial commitments from Google to return the wealth this monopoly has stolen from our newsrooms.

Not a single organization representing journalists and news workers agreed to this undemocratic and secretive deal with one of the businesses destroying our industry. Moments ago, the following opposition letter was filed with the California legislature:

We represent journalists and news workers who provide essential news for millions of Californians in print, digital, broadcast, commercial and nonprofit newsrooms.

The future of journalism should not be decided in backroom deals. The Legislature embarked on an effort to regulate monopolies and failed terribly. Now we question whether the state has done more harm than good.

California’s journalists and news workers OPPOSE this disastrous deal with Google and condemn the news executives who consented to it in our names.

Signed,

Matt Pearce, President, Media Guild of the West, The NewsGuild-CWA Local 39213
Jon Schleuss, President, The NewsGuild-CWA
Annie Sciacca, President, Pacific Media Workers Guild, The NewsGuild-CWA Local 39521
Carrie Biggs-Adams, President, NABET-CWA Local 51
Javad Ayala, President, NABET-CWA Local 53
Kevin Gallo, Regional Vice President 5, NABET-CWA
Frank Arce, Vice President, Communications Workers of America District 9

Can Worker Coops Help Solve the Media Industry Crisis? Come Find Out!

Join us on June 18th for a hybrid (Zoom + NYC) panel & workshop to explore the possibilities and challenges of the worker-owned coop model for journalism, podcasting, content production, and more.

The media industry has never been the most stable place to work; its history has been characterized by booms and busts. But rounds of mass layoffs and corporate consolidations signal a need for a structural reset. Can worker-owned cooperatives stop this race to the bottom, and empower media workers to build a resilient, revitalized, justice-oriented industry? Where do unions fit in?

In the last few years alone, the shuttering and reorganization of media companies has led to a dazzling array of new media cooperatives that center both media workers and mission. Join us for a hybrid conversation and workshop with worker-owners from Hell Gate, Defector, Time of Day Media, and Maximum Fun, as well as organizers, educators, and advocates from the Democracy at Work Institute, CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies, Writers Guild of America East, U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives and FSP-NWU to discuss the challenges and possibilities of the coop model and envision a sustainable and just future for the media industry together.

6:30-7:45 PM ET • Panel and Q&A • Hybrid, Zoom & in-person
7:45-8:30 PM ET • Workshop • In-person only

In-person gathering will be held at the WGAE Offices, 250 Hudson Street, NYC. Refreshments will be provided. RSVP is required.