Journalists at the Democrat and Chronicle will join colleagues across the country in a walkout early next week, protesting the company’s management.
Members of the Newspaper Guild of Rochester will be joining hundreds of other Gannett journalists in two dozen newsrooms in that protest.
Most of the newsrooms, like the one in Rochester at the D&C, plan to hold the one-day walkouts on Monday, the same day that Gannett holds its annual shareholder meeting.
The reporters want shareholders to vote no confidence in CEO Mike Reed, saying that under his leadership, newsroom staff has been cut and local news coverage has dwindled.
“So we are hoping that as the shareholders meet, they will recognize the need for an immediate change in direction as the only possible way to salvage the company and the important work that newspapers like the D&C do,” said reporter Justin Murphy, who is vice chairman of the local newspaper guild.
Murphy said the reporters are well aware of the pressures the newspaper industry faces due to changes in how media is consumed, but he said the union feels Gannett has gone beyond the kinds of cuts that would be necessary.
“There’s no doubt that it’s a difficult time for legacy newspapers like the Democrat and Chronicle and that is true across a variety of ownership structures. Gannett has proven to be uniquely harmful in its obsession with cost cutting, above all other measures,” Murphy said.
A statement from the national union accused Gannett of not bargaining in good faith around demands for “living wages and the resources journalists need to cover their communities.”
A spokesperson from the D&C released this statement on Thursday in response to the union’s comments:
“Despite the anticipated work stoppage, we will not cease delivering trusted news to our loyal readers. Our goal is to preserve journalism and serve our communities across the country as we continue to bargain in good faith to finalize contracts that provide equitable wages and benefits for our valued employees."
Murphy said that in 2011, the newspaper guild roster had 86 members, and today they have 23. And Murphy added that “the real losers are not only the employees … the loser is the community that depends on us to be a watchdog and a powerful Fourth Estate and to let them know what’s going on in their community.”