For what it is worth, the New York Times now has a blacklist of freelance writers. This is from the National Writer's Union which won a landmark case this year, in the Supreme Court, for the rights of all freelancers and their works:

"I thought The New York Times could not stoop lower. First, they stole your work. Then, they tried to scare and intimidate writers by demanding that they sign away rights they we all won in the U.S. Supreme Court. "But, the Times has now gone even further: it has created a blacklist. Several days ago, I was provided an internal New York Times memo by a confidential source (the memo is pasted below). In the memo circulated throughout the top echelons of the newspaper, top Times editor, Michaela Williams, writes that "our lawyers recommend that the newspaper not engage any of the below named plaintiffs to write for the newspaper." The memo then lists all the original 11 plaintiffs in Tasini v. The New York Times.

"It is a sad day when the paper of record resorts to the kinds of tactics that have left deep scars on the soul of this country.

"Here is what we must do RIGHT AWAY:

1. Send an e-mail to Michaela Williams at: mickey@nytimes.com

Express your outrage at The Times' action. Ask her to justify such actions that remind us of the discredited and immoral blacklists of the 1950s. Make the point that blacklists are contrary to freedom of expression--the ideal that all newspapers must live by.

"2. Call the office of Arthur Sulzberger at 212-556-3588. Convey the same message by phone that you sent via e-mail to Williams.

"3. Circulate this alert to other writers, websites and listservs. Ask your colleagues to take action also.

------------------------------------- Memo from The Times

Date: Tue, 18 Sep 2001 17:07:03 -0400
To: "News Exec"
From: Michaela Williams mickey@nytimes.com
Subject: Tasini plaintiffs

Sept. 18, 2001

Folks:

I'm sending this list around again, just in case it didn't reach you earlier. Please see that relevant assigning editors and backfield editors and clerks get copies.

Our lawyers recommend that the newspaper not engage any of the below named plaintiffs to write for the newspaper.

These are the original named plaintiffs in the Tasini lawsuit:

Jonathan Tasini
Barbara Belejack
Mary Kay Blakely
Barbara Garson
Daniel Lazare
Joan Oleck
Sonia Jaffe Robbins
Lindsy Van Gelder
David S. Whitford
H. Bruce Franklin

Named plaintiffs in a class action suit filed by the Authors Guild against The Times:

Derek Bell
Lynn Brenner

Thanks, Michaela