IndyStar journalists withhold bylines in contract fight
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Indianapolis News Guild members picket outside IndyStar's downtown newsroom Monday. Courtesy of Indianapolis News Guild
IndyStar journalists are withholding their names from published articles, the newspaper's most aggressive union action in years.
Why it matters: Reporters, photographers and producers at Indiana's largest newspaper are ratcheting up pressure on parent company Gannett as the two sides approach three years without a labor contract.
What's happening: The Indianapolis News Guild, a union representing IndyStar newsroom employees, is advocating for raises and a pay scale that rewards seniority.
- Gannett has not raised salaries to meet inflation, and some longtime workers earn less than they did before 2009 when the company instituted across-the-board 10% pay cuts.
By the numbers: IndyStar has 42 guild-covered journalists, down from 56 five years ago and 98 a decade ago.
- Overall, Gannett has shed about half its workforce since the 2019 merger between Gatehouse and Gannett.
The big picture: IndyStar's action coincides with hundreds of journalists across 24 Gannett-owned papers going on strike to call attention to CEO Mike Reed's performance and compensation as the company has gone into accelerated cost-cutting mode since last year.
Of note: IndyStar journalists opted for a byline withdrawal because of a longstanding no-strike clause in past contracts, which prohibits a walkout.
- Most journalists will not allow IndyStar to use their names on published work until further notice.
- The South Bend Tribune, another Gannett-owned Indiana newspaper, held a one-day strike Monday.
What they're saying: "It goes well beyond personal paychecks to the broader erosion of local news at the hands of Gannett, and we're trying to put a check on that. I don't know how successful we're going to be, but we can try," Tony Cook, an investigative reporter for IndyStar, told Axios.
The other side: "Despite journalists withholding their bylines and the work stoppage in some of our markets, there will be no disruption to our content or ability to deliver trusted news," Gannett said in a statement. "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."
James' thought bubble: I joined Axios from IndyStar. Gannett was never a warm and fuzzy employer, but it had a clear commitment to journalism, as evidenced by IndyStar's 2021 Pulitzer Prize win.
- Several champions of that work, including executives Maribel Perez Wadsworth and Amalie Nash, have left amid budget cuts, signaling Gannett has entered a new era with shifting priorities.