New York Times reporters form ‘Independence Caucus’ over concerns about union interference

Dozens of New York Times employees have formed a group to stand up for journalistic independence amid concerns the union representing the Times and hundreds of other news organizations is becoming too much of an advocate for various issues.

The newly-formed “Independence Caucus” comprises high-profile journalists like Megan Twohey, Julian Barnes and Emily Bazelon.

It would work within the confines of the NewsGuild-CWA, and would be open to staffers of rival publications, the Wall Street Journal reports.

“We want to articulate the standards many members are required to follow, and why we think they’re important, and undermining them and compromising them for us is a problem,” said Twohey, who was part of a Pulitzer Prize-winning team uncovering sexual assault allegations against former movie mogul Harvey Weinstein.

The caucus “believes that journalists must be able to report freely, following the facts where they lead with an open mind and without outside interference,” according to a document sent by organizers to the Times Guild, a subsidiary of the larger NewsGuild.

According to the Journal, the founding members of the new union were upset by the NewsGuild’s recent actions, including when the union became involved in its coverage of transgender issues and at a recent virtual meeting in which union members debated the merits of issuing a statement calling for a cease-fire in Gaza and an end to US government aid to Israel.