• by Ray Schultz , October 20, 2022

Journalists and other staffers in USA Today’s Midwest Digital Optimization team have formed a union -- The Midwest Digital Guild -- and have asked owner Gannett to recognize it. 

The new union will be part of the Indianapolis NewsGuild Local 34070. 

“If you’ve read a story online from the IndyStar, Louisville Courier Journal or one of the many other publications across Indiana, Kentucky and Illinois, it found its way to you because of the work and influence of a Midwest DOT Digital Producer,” states Jenny Porter Tilley, lead Indiana producer.

These producers include graphic designers, copy editors, social media strategists, SEO experts, content analysts and project managers. The new union claims the Midwest DOT has helped increase readership for news sites including IndyStar and LCJ.

“This isn’t just about our lives at work,” states Jenna Watson, IndyStar staff member and president of the Indianapolis News Guild. “It’s about pushing our parent company to invest in its journalism at the local level, so we can keep serving our communities the way they deserve. We must save local journalism.” 

This is the second Gannet property in the general region to unionize in recent months. The Courier Journal Guild in Louisville did so in August.