IndyStar, News Guild reach two-year agreement

Tim Evans and Eric Larsen, Indianapolis Star
·3 min read

The Indianapolis Star and the union representing the newspaper's reporters and photographers have reached an agreement on a new two-year contract.

The deal, which raises base salaries and also includes annual across-the-board pay increases, culminated more than three years of negotiations between the Gannett-owned newspaper and Indianapolis News Guild.

"We're thrilled to have reached an agreement after more than three years at the table. The biggest win is our economics package, which will benefit every member of our bargaining unit," said Jenna Watson, president of TNG-CWA Local 34070 and a veteran photographer at IndyStar.

The Indianapolis Star and IndyStar.com are part of Gannett, which publishes USA TODAY and more than 200 local news products across 43 states. IndyStar is one of nine USA TODAY Network newsrooms in Indiana, with sister newsrooms in communities including South Bend, Bloomington, Lafayette and Evansville.

For the greater good of Central Indiana: IndyStar's Community Impact Report

Amid a challenging media environment that has seen layoffs at LA Times, Sports Illustrated, Washington Post and others, USA TODAY Network newsrooms grew audience in 2023 and continue to hire journalists across the country.

"We all want the same thing — to stabilize the business and to deliver on our promise of independent journalism that is essential in the communities we serve," said Gannett Media Chief Content Officer Kristin Roberts. "This agreement reinforces our commitment to local journalism in Indy as we focus on finalizing contracts for the benefit of our valued colleagues across the USA TODAY Network. We are actively posting and filling journalism jobs in markets across the country to ensure we continue providing the news, content and information our neighbors want and need."

"This is an important step forward in this newsroom's service to our community and to each other," said Eric Larsen, IndyStar's new executive editor. "I'm grateful to all of those who brought this to the finish line so we can place our sole focus on serving Indianapolis and Indiana with IndyStar's award-winning journalism and highlighting the unrivaled expertise of this amazing staff."

Eric Larsen, recently named the new executive editor of IndyStar, meets with staff Monday, Jan. 22, 2024, inside the IndyStar offices downtown Indianapolis. Here, Larsen holds up and speaks about the impact IndyStar's reporting had on the community.
Eric Larsen, recently named the new executive editor of IndyStar, meets with staff Monday, Jan. 22, 2024, inside the IndyStar offices downtown Indianapolis. Here, Larsen holds up and speaks about the impact IndyStar's reporting had on the community.

Larsen began work at IndyStar on Monday. With the contract in place, he said his focus is on recruiting top talent to enhance IndyStar's mission to better reflect Indianapolis' diverse communities and provide them with essential journalism. Upon signing the contract Wednesday, he thanked gathered staff for their dedication and commitment to service through difficult times.

"This is a long time coming for our 39 members who, in the time that elapsed, worked through a global pandemic, brought home one Pulitzer Prize and were finalists for another Pulitzer, held power to account over and over, and lived with the impact of record inflation," Watson said.

The contract highlights include a seniority-based wage scale intended to address staff retention and pay equity across the newsroom. The deal also includes an added Juneteenth holiday, other provisions that address employee compensation and the creation of a labor-management committee with added emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indianapolis Star reaches contract agreement with news employee union