STATEMENT from The NewsGuild of New York on the passage of the NY FAIR News Act

The NewsGuild of New York is proud to have been part of a coalition of labor groups – including Writers Guild of America East, Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and the Directors Guild of America – who advocated for the NY FAIR News Act.

NYGuild members work hard to provide the reporting New Yorkers need and want. New Yorkers deserve to be able to trust in the journalism NYGuild members produce. This legislation — which now heads to Gov. Kochul’s desk for approval — would force media companies to be transparent when artificial intelligence is used in news content. Required labeling, under threat of financial penalty, helps New Yorkers identify human-produced reporting they can trust. 

“This bill is an important first step in our push for News Not Slop,” said Susan DeCarava, president of The NewsGuild of NY. “Our members don’t want to see their hard work undermined by greedy media bosses who are using AI in ways that undermine public trust in journalism. New Yorkers deserve better. We look forward to continuing the fight for human-powered journalism that is fundamental to a free press and a healthy democracy.”