Following is a statement by The Newspaper Guild-CWA on recent disclosures that some publishers deceptively are covering local news by using offshored "journalists":
In response to last week's disclosure that publishers are using outsourced content from Journatic and its subsidiary BlockShopper, The Newspaper Guild-CWA Executive Council calls for an immediate end to any deceptive practices involving outsourced and off-shored journalism and demands complete transparency. Publishers need to attach legitimate bylines to content identifying the actual writer and his/her location.
Several stories, including one on Poynter and a podcast on "This American Life," have exposed publishers using Journatic or BlockShopper that cover local news with "journalists" based in other countries. They were caught using false bylines, a practice the company acknowledged and says it is discontinuing. The company claimed these individuals were only gathering data and not writing.
But a Philippines-based writer acknowledged on "This American Life" that he was doing the actual writing. Some foreign-based writers have used local area codes when calling sources, and have identified themselves as working at or for the publishing paper, e.g., The San Francisco Chronicle. The Chronicle, which has Guild-represented employees, used BlockShopper for a real estate section and said it was unaware of the false bylines.
It was also reported that the Tribune Co. laid off a number of American-based journalists and replaced them with Journatic, which actually has its American office in the Tribune Tower in Chicago.
Guild workers continue to have deep pride in their products, but it appears the owners don't share the same sentiments. Many Guild-represented regional papers have been the most trusted news on the internet, even when that content is aggregated elsewhere. We know that has not necessarily brought profitability or a sound business model to the products we work for. But the great hollowing out of American journalism, which now appears to be led by publishers, will deal a death blow to quality and trusted journalism. At the same time record amounts of money are flowing into propagandistic messages on any and every civil issue, since the U.S. Supreme Court equated speech with money.
We believe our members have been a key part in building the digital future of journalism from the very start. We envision a future where digital information doesn't mean cheap, shoddy, quick and possibly false. Consumers need to make clear that quality matters and show they are willing to pay for trusted information through advertising or subscription models.
The Guild will continue to push the highest journalistic ethics, stand and fight for quality and maintain the dignity of the profession of journalism. This nuclear race to the bottom, for the cheapest news that fits, is deeply disturbing. It is no longer naive or hyperbole to say the fate of our country may depend on who wins this fight.
