ON A WAVE

Nonprofit Investigative Newsroom ProPublica Unionizes

ProPublica’s president and editor-in-chief told staff on Wednesday that “once the details are worked out, we plan to recognize the union.”

Another newsroom is joining the labor organizing efforts taking the industry by storm. Reporters at ProPublica, a journalism nonprofit known for its hard-hitting investigations, announced Wednesday they will be forming a union, The Washington Post reported. Staffers described the union in a statement as “essential to preserving the best parts of working at ProPublica and ensuring our values do not waver regardless of leadership changes or turbulence within the industry.” While its nonprofit status has relatively shielded the newsroom from the layoffs plaguing media conglomerates, it was lagging in union representation among its peer national outlets. The ProPublica Guild plans to lay out guidelines for staffing and workload, especially during journalism award season. ProPublica’s president Robin Sparkman and editor-in-chief Stephen Engleberg said in a memo to staff that “once the details are worked out, we plan to recognize the union.”