New York Times: Ethical Issues Raised
On November 18, the New York Times covered the news of the Boston Newspaper Guild’s open letter to Globe executives:
“…Ms. Henry, 42, is taking the top job at a time of rising tensions between The Globe’s management and its union, the Boston Newspaper Guild, which have been in negotiations over a new contract since the last one expired at the end of 2018.
“Matt Rocheleau, a Globe investigative reporter and the union’s recording secretary, said the elevation of Ms. Henry did not offer the staff much hope for a swift conclusion.
“‘It really depends on if she is going to take a different approach to what has been taken,’ he said in an interview. ‘We haven’t seen yet any signal that management is going to change, but we hope it does.’
“The promotion of Ms. Henry was announced on a day when Globe employees criticized ties between the newspaper and the Jones Day law firm, which has represented President Trump and his campaign and has been representing the Republican Party of Pennsylvania in litigation over mail-in votes.
“In an open letter to the Henrys and other executives on Wednesday, Globe union members said Boston Globe Media Partners’ use of Jones Day raised ethical issues and asked the company to reconsider its relationship with the firm. The Times reported this month that some Jones Day lawyers said they were concerned that the firm’s recent work was undermining the integrity of the electoral system.
“‘Given the Globe’s wide-ranging coverage of election-related news, we believe readers have a right to be aware of the relationship between The Globe and Jones Day, just as Globe readers have routinely been informed of the business relationship between Globe ownership and the Boston Red Sox,’ the letter said.
“Mr. Rocheleau said the paper’s journalism must be free from any apparent conflicts of interest. ‘The Globe has run New York Times wire stories about Jones Day, about election-related lawsuits, and there was no disclosure about the relationship to the company with Jones Day,’ he said….”
Read the full article: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/18/business/media/boston-globe-linda-henry.html
—