NWU is a member of the International Federation of Journalists, alongside our sister union, the Palestine Journalist Syndicate. We stand in solidarity with the Palestinian journalists who have lived and worked under occupation, siege, and apartheid laws for more than seven decades.
As a union of writers and media workers based primarily in North America, we are keenly aware of the role media organizations can play in either facilitating or preventing war and oppression. We feel the responsibility of organized labor to intervene in the malfeasance of our own governments and the companies we work for. And we know, and condemn, how the conditions for violence are created through censorship and retaliation against media workers expressing dissent.
We set up this page to support colleagues facing retaliation for their political views, to enable collective action in solidarity with Palestine and Palestinian media workers, and to share resources. If you have questions about any of the projects described below, and/or if you are a member and want to get directly involved, reach out to freelance.solidarity.project@gmail.com.
LEADERSHIP STATEMENT
On October 13, 2023, the leadership of the National Writers Union issued a statement pertaining to the bombardment of Gaza and the role of media in the emergent conflict.
The National Writers Union—in solidarity with the Palestinian Journalist Syndicate and the International Federation of Journalists—condemns the actions of the Israeli military and its specific assault on the press, which has further undermined the already tenuous transmission of news from the Gaza Strip to the rest of the world.
Read the full statement here.
SIGN
Writers against the War on Gaza (WAWOG). More than 6000 writers and cultural workers, including dozens of NWU members, have signed this open letter that states, “we condemn those in our industries who continue to enable apartheid and genocide. We cannot write a free Palestine into existence, but together we must do all we possibly can to reject narratives that soothe Western complicity in ethnic cleansing.”
BOYCOTT
For almost two decades, Palestinian Civil Society organizations have been united in calling on the international community, including cultural institutions and media organizations, “to impose broad boycotts and implement divestment initiatives against Israel similar to those applied to South Africa in the apartheid era.” Rather than individuals with Israeli citizenship, the BDS movement targets institutions and corporations that support and enable Israeli state violence. Learn more about the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement and the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI).
SUPPORT
The National Writers Union is preparing a report on retaliation and censorship experienced by against writers, journalists, and media workers who express solidarity with Palestinians, share their views on bombardment of Gaza and the West Bank, or critique ongoing news coverage. Please fill out this survey to report incidents of retaliation, or this second survey to report experiences of pressure to self-censor both in and out of professional settings. You may choose to remain anonymous. NWU has assembled a list of volunteer and low-cost therapists to assist media workers who are Palestinian or otherwise personally affected by the war, as well as those covering the war or being silenced for their views.
ADVOCATE
Tell top U.S. Labor Leaders: Break your silence on Palestine! Sponsored by U.S. Labor Against Racism and War.
TAKE ACTION
As of early November, 2023, NWU members are compiling short digests of opportunities for advocacy and solidarity, like phone banks and letter-writing campaigns, in-person direct actions, fundraisers, and more. These digests are disseminated to interested NWU members by email twice per week. To receive them, email freelance.solidarity.project@gmail.com
NWU is the sole provider of IFJ Press Passes to freelance journalists in the U.S.