Media monopolies a potent threat to media workers and to US democracy overall. Join us on Monday, April 27 at 7 pm ET for a panel discussion on the dangers of media consolidation, how we got here, and what we can do about it. Register: bit.ly/FightBigMedia
Quote on the graphic reads "One could think of writing a book and writing literary criticism as a kind of call and response, and how lonely it would be to call to no response! As a writer of books, I'm thankful for the critics; as a reader and occasional writer of criticism, I know how very much work and thought can go into a review. Books and readers need critics, and critics need to be paid well for the considerable work involved" by R.O. Kwon. Illustration is by Colleen Tighe, showing a cartoon of a person driving a boat holding a bag of money while water is splashed on a second person in a lifebuoy with three piles of books perched on it. FSP-NWU Book Critics Working Group is noted at the bottom left
Media workers across disciplines are laboring under precarity. Help us fight to raise pay and improve working conditions. nwu.org/join
Illustration by @colleentie.bsky.social
Quote on the graphic reads "Critics and reviewers dedicate themselves to the art of writing, to the cultural and social meanings of books. They create a necessary and important dialogue between writers and readers. We writers usually work in solitude, though writing is never a singular pursuit. What we write comes from the world, not only from the world inside us, but also from the one outside us, and from other lives. Critics help writers understand what our writing might mean to others" by Lynne Tillman. Illustration is by Colleen Tighe, showing a cartoon person seated in front of a laptop surrounded by a toppling pile of books. FSP-NWU Book Critics Working Group is noted at the bottom left
A healthy critical landscape demands institutional investment and good-faith bargaining. Help FSP-NWU fight for better rates! nwu.org/join
Illustration by @colleentie.bsky.social
Quote on the graphic reads "Criticism is an essential part of a functioning literary ecosystem, and it takes an enormous amount of time, effort, and care. We get the quality of criticism we pay for, and we should pay more for it" by Ed Yong. Illustration is by Colleen Tighe, showing a cartoon person in a green shirt that reads "The Prestige Mag" swiping a card; the card reader shows a big red X and a loaf of bread and two apples are nearby, implying that the person's card was declined while buying groceries. FSP-NWU Book Critics Working Group is noted at the bottom left
As media workers, we are mutually invested in the amplification of cultural output. A dollar a word would help combat inequality in the media space. nwu.org/join
Illustration by @colleentie.bsky.social
Quote on the graphic reads "As a queer author, literary criticism is crucial to my work - not only so readers get an opportunity to find my books, but also so the public has a richer, deeper understanding of what's so important about LGBTQ+ literature. Good criticism requires time, thoughtfulness, and genuine talent. I owe so much to the incredible community of critics who have taken such care with my writing" by Kristen Arnett. Illustration is by Colleen Tighe, showing a cartoon of five people reading / typing next to images of a pacifier, a bag of groceries, a house key, and a caduceus. FSP-NWU Book Critics Working Group is noted at the bottom left
Published authors rely on freelance critics for dialogue, context, and exposure. Help us fight to raise pay and improve working conditions. nwu.org/join
Illustration by @colleentie.bsky.social
Quote on the graphic reads "One could think of writing a book and writing literary criticism as a kind of call and response, and how lonely it would be to call to no response! As a writer of books, I'm thankful for the critics; as a reader and occasional writer of criticism, I know how very much work and thought can go into a review. Books and readers need critics, and critics need to be paid well for the considerable work involved" by R.O. Kwon. Illustration is by Colleen Tighe, showing a cartoon of a person driving a boat holding a bag of money while water is splashed on a second person in a lifebuoy with three piles of books perched on it. FSP-NWU Book Critics Working Group is noted at the bottom left
The assault on criticism echoes the subversion of free speech, embrace of generative A.I., and hostility toward the press. FSP-NWU is fighting for better rates. nwu.org/join
Illustration by @colleentie.bsky.social
Quote on the graphic reads "Critics and reviewers dedicate themselves to the art of writing, to the cultural and social meanings of books. They create a necessary and important dialogue between writers and readers. We writers usually work in solitude, though writing is never a singular pursuit. What we write comes from the world, not only from the world inside us, but also from the one outside us, and from other lives. Critics help writers understand what our writing might mean to others" by Lynne Tillman. Illustration is by Colleen Tighe, showing a cartoon person seated in front of a laptop surrounded by a toppling pile of books. FSP-NWU Book Critics Working Group is noted at the bottom left
Criticism is a crucial and democratic counterforce in the face of marketing budgets and recommendation algorithms. Help FSP-NWU fight for better rates! nwu.org/join
Illustration by @colleentie.bsky.social
Quote on the graphic reads "Criticism is an essential part of a functioning literary ecosystem, and it takes an enormous amount of time, effort, and care. We get the quality of criticism we pay for, and we should pay more for it" by Ed Yong. Illustration is by Colleen Tighe, showing a cartoon person in a green shirt that reads "The Prestige Mag" swiping a card; the card reader shows a big red X and a loaf of bread and two apples are nearby, implying that the person's card was declined while buying groceries. FSP-NWU Book Critics Working Group is noted at the bottom left
The muffling of critical voices compromises consumer choice. A dollar a word would help critics make a living wage. nwu.org/join
Illustration by @colleentie.bsky.social
Quote on the graphic reads "As a queer author, literary criticism is crucial to my work - not only so readers get an opportunity to find my books, but also so the public has a richer, deeper understanding of what's so important about LGBTQ+ literature. Good criticism requires time, thoughtfulness, and genuine talent. I owe so much to the incredible community of critics who have taken such care with my writing" by Kristen Arnett. Illustration is by Colleen Tighe. Commissioned by the FSP-NWU Book Critics Working Group
2025 has been a year of devastating disinvestment across arts and culture criticism. Join us in calling for $1/word as the minimum rate for book critics. nwu.org/join
Illustration by @colleentie.bsky.social
Read and share the Caucus of Nonprofit Newsroom Unions' position statement, which FSP-NWU endorses to represent our members who freelance for these companies, and sign the NewsGuild-CWA’s petition on AI. And if you are a freelance worker, join NWU in the fight for #NewsNotSlop!
FSP-NWU has developing AI contract language for freelancers and fighting for fair legislation that regulates the use of our work by AI companies. Now, our NewsGuild-CWA siblings are fighting to ensure that AI is regulated in their newsrooms. Sign the petition here: actionnetwork.org/petitions/st...
For-profit media companies have already haphazardly rolled out deeply flawed AI tools that publish inaccurate articles and are used as an excuse for executives to slash freelance budgets and lay off our peers in the industry. Nonprofit outlets can and must do better to preserve trust in news.
A graphic logo in the shape of a circle with a blue background. Around the edges of the circle is white text that reads "Caucus of Nonprofit Newsroom Unions." In the middle of the logo is the text of the acronym, CNNU, with each letter inside of a large, stylized quotation mark.
Today, we join unionized nonprofit newsrooms across the country as they stand shoulder-to-shoulder to demand that news industry leaders agree to common-sense guardrails around the implementation of artificial intelligence to protect the integrity, quality, and accuracy of our journalism.
TOMORROW: Join the Rate Sharing Crew for a drop-in on Dec 4 at 12pm ET to close out the year! We want to hear about your wins and build momentum for the new year. RSVP: forms.gle/meFVcJTiaVWN...
freelance journo friends, I'll be at this drop-in! Come hang out.
Join our end-of-year rate sharing drop-in on Thursday, December 4, at 12 pm ET! We want to hear about your wins this year and talk about how we'll hit the ground running next year, organizing so freelancers can have greater assurance and stability. RSVP: forms.gle/L1R3NyaiMEsm...
Join our Rate Sharing Working Group on Dec 4 at 12pm ET for a drop-in rate sharing event and connect with your freelance colleagues. RSVP: forms.gle/NaUNpARUgkZW...
The feeling is so mutual!
Media closures are happening much too often these days, but there is POWER in a UNION! ✊🏼
"The death of institutions hasn’t killed solidarity among journalists — I’m a member, for example, of the Freelance Solidarity Project at the National Writers Union, which provides resources for independent writers and has contracts for minimum standards with several publications." 🫡
We had the privilege of working with @goodbyealma.bsky.social on our know your rights panel for queer & trans media workers, so trust us when we say it's worth subscribing to Hell Gate to read this full interview. Then go sign the petition to support the Fired Four: actionnetwork.org/petitions/te...
Sign the petition to reinstate the Fired Four!
More important to me than my identity, I am also the Vice President of the NewsGuild of New York, and targeting me with a blatantly retaliatory termination like this feels like an egregious shot against our union and against media workers as a whole.
It is our position that the media landscape is bleak, but not hopeless. Every day, our members are organizing to build a more just media industry, one that values workers and their labor.
Join our union, and join the fight: nwu.org/join-now
Working as a freelancer should be an affirmative choice, but the reality is that many of us take up freelancing after a lay-off while applying for a vanishing number of media staff jobs. We hope this guide for navigating freelance work offers support & solidarity: sites.google.com/view/fsp-res...
We also condemn Condé Nast’s illegal decision to fire four Condé Union officers for demanding answers about the termination of their colleagues. We stand in solidarity with @nyguild.bsky.social as they address management's blatant union-busting.
The diversity at Teen Vogue directly influenced its vibrant and impactful reporting. Their loss is a blow to a media landscape that shrinks from making space for joy alongside rage when confronting the material realities of young people. Support our fellow workers: www.gofundme.com/f/help-laido...
We stand in solidarity with our @condeunion.bsky.social siblings at @teenvogue.com who were unceremoniously laid off last week.
Layoffs are not a solution to unbalanced budgets, especially when those laid off come from marginalized backgrounds typically not represented at major media orgs.
Speaking of freelancers, looking out for fellow freelance creatives is really important to me. We worked with @nwu.org and @fspnwu.bsky.social to develop contributor guidelines to protect freelancers, be transparent about our relationships, and set fair pay standards.
Tomorrow, comrades! Who’s joining us?