{
"type": "rich",
"version": "1.0",
"provider_name": "Action Network",
"provider_url": "https://actionnetwork.org",
"html": "",
"author_name": "Gannett Workers United NewsGuild",
"author_url": "https://actionnetwork.org/groups/times-union-guild",
"title": "We need journalists during COVID-19",
"thumbnail_url": "https://can2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/share_options/facebook_images/000/230/101/original/demands2.png",
"description": "As our nation deals with the coronavirus outbreaks, journalists have been vital to keeping our communities safe. Journalists have let our neighbors know how to get tested, what businesses are open and how to support local businesses without putting anyone in danger. Our journalists have held public officials accountable when they've profited off the virus or failed to protect our neighbors. Our journalists have tracked the spread of the virus, and we want to continue to do so. But Gannett, our parent company, has told us they want to reduce our journalism by 25 percent through unpaid furloughs for the next three months. That reduction is going to put our communities at risk and make it harder to get important information about COVID-19. This reduction comes after Gannett took $329.2 million in advertising and subscriber revenue and handed it out to shareholders in the form of dividends in 2018 and 2019 under its two prior companies. Gannett's decisions have profited rich executives, but it's asking our communities to sacrifice and give up 25 percent of their journalism. We're asking our neighbors to stand up for us and demand that Gannett reduce the number of furloughs, guarantee that there will be no layoffs during or after the furloughs and offer a valuation for each newspaper so we can seek local buyers for our newspapers who are more interested in serving our communities than shareholders.",
"url": "https://actionnetwork.org/letters/we-need-journalists-during-covid-19"
}