Writers Assail NYT

American Society of        Authors Guild          National Writers Union
Journalists & Authors      330 West 42nd St           873 Broadway, #203
1501 Broadway, #302        New York NY 10036           New York NY 10003 
New York NY 10036          tel 212-563-5904        tel (NY) 212-254-0279
tel 212-997-0947           fax 212-564-8363        tel (CA) 510-839-0110
fax 212-768-7414           staff[_at_]authorsguild.org       fax 212-254-0673
75227.1650[_at_]compuserve.com                           nwu[_at_]netcom.com (nyt)

October 12, 1995

             MORE THAN 300 WRITERS ASSAIL NEW YORK TIMES; ALLENDE, CHEEVER, HALBERSTAM, MAILER, MITFORD, VIDAL, VONNEGUT, WALKER     JOIN PROTEST OVER FREELANCERS' CONTRACTS AND ELECTRONIC RIGHTS   Norman Mailer and Gore Vidal don't see eye-to-eye on much, but they do agree that the New York Times isn't treating writers right.

  The two have added their names to a star-studded list of more than 300 freelance writers who have sent a statement denouncing the Times to each editor and department head at the newspaper, as well as to Times publisher Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr. and executive editor Joseph Lelyveld.

  The message, delivered by electronic mail and hard copy by three organizations representing freelancers, criticizes the Times for demanding secondary publishing rights to freelance articles for no extra pay. It steps up a writers' protest launched in August.

  The action began with thirteen prominent writers speaking out in a statement released by the American Society of Journalists and Authors, the Authors Guild and the National Writers Union. Those writers included Ken Follett, Erica Jong, Garrison Keillor, J. Anthony Lukas, Alvin Toffler, Heidi Toffler and Fay Weldon.

  Now, they've been joined by more of the best known bylines in the business, including--besides Mailer and Vidal--Isabel Allende, Nicholson Baker, Susan Cheever, Vivian Gornick, Gael Greene, David Halberstam, Kitty Kelley, Jessica Mitford, Jane O'Reilly, Nan Robertson, Garry Trudeau, Kurt Vonnegut, Dan Wakefield and Alice Walker.  

  In response to the newspaper's new take-it-or-leave-it dictum that freelancers must surrender syndication, electronic and other secondary rights in their articles, the writers' statement declares: "This policy represents a profound break with publishing tradition .... Additional rights may be acquired, and paid for, by normal contractual means."

  The list of writers was accompanied by a brief memo to Times editors. "You'll probably recognize many of the names," the memo says. "The list continues to grow."

  Other noted writers who have recently joined the protest include Ben Bagdikian, Anne Bernays, Caroline Bird, Patricia Bosworth, Philip Caputo, Edwin Diamond, Todd Gitlin, James Gleick, Michael Gross, Edward Koren, John Leo, Jay Parini, Barbara Raskin, Adrienne Rich, Roger Rosenblatt, Lynne Sharon Schwartz, Carol Tavris, Piri Thomas and Milton Viorst.

  The full text of the statement:

  In a recent internal memorandum, the New York Times announced that it will now require its freelance writers to sign "work-made-for-hire" contracts, surrendering complete ownership of all future contributions to the Times. The memorandum emphasizes that the Times's "position on this is unambiguous: if someone does not sign an agreement, he or she will no longer be published in the newspaper."

  This policy represents a profound break with publishing tradition by attempting to seize all rights to the creative work of its freelance writers. Unlike staff writers, freelancer writers have historically retained copyright in their works. Yet the Times offers writers no additional compensation for the extra rights it would take and no share in the extra revenues their works will continue to earn for the Times.

  Its justification for this drastic action--that it needs to fully control all of the works on its pages to be a leader in electronic journalism--is specious. Additional rights may be acquired, and paid for, by normal contractual means.

  We protest the proposed contract as unfair, unnecessary, and harmful to the livelihood of freelance writers. We strongly urge the Times to choose a more equitable course, and to become a responsible leader in electronic journalism.

-end-

Alexandra Owens/ASJA
<75227.1650[_at_]compuserve.com> Received on Thu Oct 12 1995 - 12:43:33 GMT