New York Times journalists lash out at colleagues criticizing anti-transgender coverage

Several prominent New York Times journalists lashed out at their union president for calling a “threat” from management to staff over the transgender coverage of the Gray Lady.

Susan DeCarava, president of the NewsGuild of New York, warned the paper’s management of an “implied threat of discipline” to those who support the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) criticism of the paper for what the group claims was an anti-trans bias .

However, senior Times reporters including Peter Baker, Charlie Savage, and Jeremy Peters fended off DeCarava’s attacks on management.

“Actual, accurate journalism written, edited and published to Times standards does not create a hostile workplace environment,” they wrote in a letter to DeCarava Tuesday.

The Times has been agitated by internal strife since hundreds of staff and contributors signed an open letter to GLAAD last week condemning the paper for “platforming the voices of extremist anti-LGBTQ activists who have built their careers on vilifying and dehumanizing LGBTQ people, especially transgender people.” “. ”

The letter prompted Joe Kahn, Executive Editor, and Kathleen Kingsbury, Public Opinion Editor, to issue a warning to anyone who publicly complained about the paper’s editorial policies.

DeCarava followed up with her own message, which asserted that “employees are protected in the collective expression of concern that their employment conditions constitute a hostile work environment.”

The letter from DeCarava, first reported by Semafor, was posted on the union’s private mailing list before it went public, a source close to the guild told The Post.

The source said DeCarava was concerned that Kahn and Kingsbury’s letter contained “an implied threat of disciplinary action” against employees who spoke out.

This seemed to many to be too much of a step in the intended “documentation”.

“Your letter appears to suggest a fundamental misunderstanding of our responsibilities as journalists,” DeCarava said in a letter reported by Vanity Fair.

“Unfortunately, our own trade union leadership now seems determined to undermine the ethical and professional safeguards on which the independence and integrity of our journalism depend.”

The letter continued: “Every day partisans try to influence, attack or discredit our work. We accept it.”

“But what we don’t accept is what the Guild seems to approve of: a workplace where any opinion or disagreement about the coverage of the Times can be reframed as a matter of ‘workplace conditions’,” the statement reads. letter.

“We are journalists, not activists. This line must be clear.”

According to Semaphore, Stephanie Saul, a Times reporter, also called DeCarava and the guild.

“Susan has no right to send editorial content letters without consulting members,” Saul wrote.

“Criticism of workplace conditions does not include attacks on the journalistic activities of other participants. I strongly object to this letter and hope that the other members of the unit will agree with me.”

The Post has asked the Times for comment.

A union spokesman told The Post: “The guild strives to represent every member equally and fairly, no matter what task they represent.”

“We take no position on the subject of editorial coverage and fight hard for the right of every member to work in a healthy and safe environment free from harassment and discrimination,” the spokesperson added.

“These are the principles that underlie the trade union movement and are central to our mission.”