New Times: New Guild' Explores Ways to Save Journalism and Jobs

In an era of shrinking newsrooms, TNG-CWA members in northern California have started a national online forum to trade and inspire new ideas for the future of journalism.

New Times: New Guild is a project of the 1,800-member California Media Workers Guild. A series of special reports online at www.mediaworkers.org looks at ways the Media Workers Guild is helping journalists as journalism and jobs continue to change.

Reports already posted include a look at the creation of the nation's first Guild Freelance Unit; the new, nonprofit Bay Area News Project; the Bay Area Media Training Consortium; a project to help newsrooms overcome language barriers, and a look ahead at 2010 contract negotiations.

"We hope to kick-start a larger conversation on the future direction and forms of journalism," said Carl Hall, a science writer and Media Workers staff representative. "Journalism is too important to democracy to be left to media moguls, advertisers and bloggers."

Introducing the series, Media Workers President and San Francisco Chronicle reporter Michael Cabanatuan said, "Instead of hunkering down with our hands over our heads, we're trying to become more efficient and effective, to provide training and assistance to our current and former members, to organize freelancers (including many of our laid-off members), and to help build the future of news."