News Industry Workers Take a Stand for Jobs, Quality Journalism

For More Information: Jeff Miller or Candice Johnson, CWA Communications, 202-434-1168, jmiller@cwa-union.org and cjohnson@cwa-union.org

Actions on Dec. 11 to focus attention on corporate cuts that harm journalism, readers and communities

Washington, D.C. -- On Monday, Dec. 11, newspaper employees, television technicians, writers and other news industry workers will mark a "Day of Action" to alert the public that the quality and diversity of news coverage that readers now depend on is at risk.

Union members are standing up to media owners and corporations that are slashing media jobs to produce higher profits and are ignoring the harmful effect on quality journalism, said TNG-CWA President Linda Foley.

A TNG-CWA web site, www.savejournalism.org, has information about the jobs that have been lost and the effects these cutbacks have on quality news, along with other developments in the news industry.

More than 44,000 news industry employees lost their jobs between 2001 and June 2006, at least 34,000 of them at newspapers alone. Thousands more cuts have been announced or threatened in just the past few weeks, at newspapers in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Jose, Calif., St. Paul, Minn., and other cities, serving large and small communities.

"We're asking the public to join us – for democracy's sake – and say no to this assault on quality journalism," Foley said.

The Federal Communications Commission will hold a public hearing on media ownership issues in Nashville, Tenn., on Dec. 11, and TNG-CWA members from several locals will be out in force, speaking out against allowing corporations to own more media outlets, a change the FCC is considering.