Gawker unionized in 2015, setting off a wave of digital newsroom organizing that has since only been invigorated by layoffs and politics that leave journalists feeling embattled. Emily and Heather are joined by long-time labor reporter Steven Greenhouse, Writer’s Guild of America East organizer Megan McRobert, and WGAE Council member and writer Kelly Stout to explain how unions has been brought into the digital newsroom– and what digital journalism expects from labor. 

Reading List:

• Read Steven Greenhouse’s piece in CJR about unions, “More Secure Jobs, Bigger Paychecks”.
• Read about the latest big digital media outlet to unionize BuzzFeed News.
• Here’s a history of the violent union crushers called the Pinkertons mentioned in the episode, as well as the company behind it which exists to this day. 
• Thinking of unionizing your digital newsroom? Writer’s Guild of America East and The NewsGuild are the biggest unions.