Some ‘independent caucuses’ formed
As the war between Israel and the Palestinian armed group Hamas, which broke out on October 7, continued for nearly three months, the New York Times (NYT), a leading American daily newspaper, was also caught up in the aftermath of the war. When NYT’s existing union, ‘News Guild’, recently made the claim, “Let’s issue a statement calling for a ceasefire between both sides and an end to US support for Israel,” some people who opposed this called for a new union called ‘Independence Caucus’. ‘ created an organization. As the controversy surrounding anti-Semitism has struck the entire United States, including college campuses, newsrooms of media outlets are not free from the aftermath.
According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 17th (local time), Pulitzer Prize winner Megan Too sparked the global ‘Me Too’ movement by reporting sexual assault by Hollywood film producer Harvey Weinstein. In addition, dozens of famous reporters such as Julian Barnes and Emily Bergellen, as well as some non-journalists, formed the ‘Independence Caucus’. They are concerned that News Guild’s claims, which could be interpreted as pro-Palestinian actions, violate the NYT’s policy prohibiting political activity and could endanger colleagues reporting there.
The News Guild recently attempted to issue a statement calling for a ceasefire through an online meeting. However, there was significant opposition at this meeting, so it did not lead to an actual statement.
Some members of the Independence Caucus have even discussed legal proceedings with lawyers to completely withdraw from the News Guild. The Independent Caucus declared, “In addition to NYT reporters, we will also accept membership from employees of other media companies.” The News Guild is a large media union with about 26,000 members.
The WSJ diagnosed this incident as an example of how the demands of some journalists to express a clear position on recent political and social events conflict with the long-standing value of traditional media called ‘impartiality’. In particular, as major media companies have strengthened their digital strategies, they have been recruiting data analysts, designers, and marketers other than reporters, and as a result, the overall atmosphere of the newsroom is also changing.
It is also noteworthy that the Sulzberger family, the owners of the NYT, are Jewish. The Searlsberger family acquired the NYT in 1896 and runs it to this day.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.