Guild, HuffPost Agree: Professional Writers Deserve Pay for Content

Discussions Over Shared Principles End TNG-CWA Boycott of Website

After months of talks about paying professional journalists for their contributions to the Huffington Post, the news website and TNG-CWA have reached an agreement on shared principles.

As a result, both the Guild and the National Writers Union have agreed to end a boycott that began earlier this year after AOL acquired the website for $315 million. The boycott led many writers to refuse to submit articles without pay.

Knowing how many freelance writers were out of work and eager for publication, the Guild was deeply concerned about the Huffpost model.

Guild President Bernie Lunzer and other union leaders met with website executives, including Arianna Huffington, who continues to run the AOL-owned site she created. Also participating was Ryan Grim, the website's Washington bureau chief, who spoke to TNG-CWA members last week at the Guild's annual awards banquet.

"In the emerging ecosystem, many people want to contribute, from curious citizens who shoot video of events and post them on YouTube to citizen journalists who want to be a part of the crowd-sourced news gathering process," Grim said. "But while the playing field is still being shaped, some of the ground rules remain the same, including the need for and value of journalists. And the requirement that journalists be paid for their work."

While no formal agreement spells out a payment schedule, Lunzer said the boycott and subsequent meetings have led to a mutual understanding that will benefit both writers and the Huffington Post, as well as readers who expect quality journalism.

"In many ways this work is just beginning as journalism continues to rapidly change," he said. "What hasn't changed is that quality journalism requires quality jobs, and we're pleased that Ryan and others at the Huffington Post understand that, too."

Click here to read the Guild's open letter to members about the Huffington Post situation.