The NewsGuild of New York has reportedly announced that disciplinary proceedings have commenced for New York Times (NYT) employees that signed a letter condemning the platform’s coverage of transgender issues, according to Erik Wemple.
Wemple, a reporter for The Washington Post, tweeted Thursday that investigations have reportedly started against the co-signers of the letter.
“Among those who signed that letter were several @nytimes employees,” Wemple tweeted. “The NewsGuild of NY says that members have been called into ‘investigatory meetings’ and an informed source tells me that disciplinary proceedings are under way.” (RELATED: ‘Fundamental Misunderstanding’: Top NYT Writers Revolt Against Union, Defend Critical Coverage Of Trans Issues)
Among those who signed that letter were several @nytimes employees. The NewsGuild of NY says that members have been called into “investigatory meetings” and an informed source tells me that disciplinary proceedings are under way.
— ErikWemple (@ErikWemple) February 23, 2023
Wemple claimed on Twitter that the NYT said they they wouldn’t permit, “protests organized by advocacy groups or attacks on colleagues on social media and other public forums.”
A group of 200 New York Times contributors and employees, wrote a letter Feb. 15 criticizing the company’s coverage of trans issues. That same day, GLAAD, an LGBTQ advocacy group, released an open letter asking NYT to change its coverage of transgender issues.
The NewsGuild of New York, a union comprised of several New York Times staffers, penned a letter Feb. 17 defending the signatories and claimed that the publication’s coverage of trans issues could have potentially created a “hostile and biased work environment.”
“Employees have a federally-protected right to engage in concerted activity to address workplace conditions,” the letter reads. “It is a violation of federal law for The New York Times to threaten, restrain or coerce employees from engaging in such activity.”
Dozens of NYT employees penned a response to the NewsGuild of New York with a letter condemning the union for backing the letter which criticized their colleagues’ work.
“Your letter appears to suggest a fundamental misunderstanding of our responsibilities as journalists,” the letter reads. “Regretfully, our own union leadership now seems determined to undermine the ethical and professional protections that we depend on to guard the independence and integrity of our journalism.”
“A workplace in which any opinion or disagreement about Times coverage can be recast as a matter of ‘workplace conditions.’… We are journalists, not activists. That line should be clear.”