Reporter and poet John Ross viewed journalism not as a profession but as a moral responsibility. In a posthumously published series of his lectures, REBEL REPORTING: John Ross Speaks to Independent Journalists, he asserts that journalists have an obligation to speak truth to power. Wisconsin NWU member Norman Stockwell co-edited this collection with journalist and […]
‘Freelance Isn’t Free’ Bill Introduced
NEW YORK — December 7, 2015 — About 80 freelancers gathered on the City Hall steps in support of a bill introduced in the New York City Council that would protect freelancers against non-payment. The #FreelanceIsn’tfree Act would penalize clients who refuse to pay freelancers within 30 days, and would subject them to double damages, […]
President’s Report ~ December 2015
2015 In Review We may look back on 2015 as a watershed year for the NWU: We made difficult decisions and long-needed changes that could give our union a new lease on life. For example, this year the national office cut expenses by more than $60,000, while our delegates approved a modest dues increase for […]
NWU and SFWA comments to the US Copyright Office on “Mass Digitization”
The NWU and our fellow writers of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc. (SFWA) have filed joint comments with the US Copyright Office in response to a public inquiry concerning the possibility of a “pilot program” for mass digitization of written work through the legal device of “extended collective licensing” (ECL) and […]
Greetings from the International Federation of Journalists
Please let me convey the warmest greetings to the delegates at your 2015 assembly on behalf of the IFJ Executive Committee and our unions of journalists worldwide. We wish all of you a strong and fruitful conference. We are all very proud of the efforts made by the NWU to advance the professional and social […]
Netroots Nation
Over nearly a decade, Netroots Nation has grown to become a powerful force in promoting the Democratic Party. It serves as a platform for community activists, labor organizations, and even presidential candidates. With a reputation for compelling content and boisterous voices, Netroots 2015 descended on the Phoenix Convention Center in Arizona’s capital city last month, […]
Building Your Author Platform
People often talk about building a platform as a writer, but what does that really mean. It’s about three things: Establishing and maintaining your authority over your subject matter Finding and growing an audience for your work Making a big enough splash that editors and agents come knocking Building awareness beyond the people you already […]
Notes on the Harlem Book Fair
African voices can be muffled by white supremacy and racism, but poets and writers who are invested in self-determination will find a way to get their words out. Panelists who participated in the National Writers Union discussion, “Silencing Black Writers in the USA,” shared these and other perspectives at the Harlem Book Fair in late […]
SHE JUST KEPT WRITING: The Passing of Susan Carol Hauser
Our sister Susan Carol Hauser could use her pen to wage war, but the writing she most enjoyed nurtured, celebrated, and nudged the world towards change. She died suddenly on July 7 of a brain aneurism at the age of 72. A member since 1986, Susan served the NWU as a contract adviser, Twin Cities’ […]
NWU Supports Egyptian Journalists Syndicate’s Call for a National Strike on June 10
Egyptian Journalists’ Syndicate General Secretary Gamal Abdalrahim The National Writers Union stands with you in your call for a national strike on June 10, to protest the mass dismissal of journalists in many media, the rampant job insecurity and the continued jailing of journalists. The ruling last May of Egypt’s Supreme Administrative Court, that “striking […]
NWU is the sole provider of IFJ Press Passes to freelance journalists in the U.S.