Statement From Grant Glickson, President of the NewsGuild of New York

On April 20^th, Chris Villani tweeted an accurate and timely development in the Aaron Hernandez story. On Monday, the Herald decided to reward his competitive use of social media with a three day suspension without pay. Why? Because the Boston Herald has decided to arbitrarily implement an outdated and restrictive social media policy for the first time in the policy’s five years in existence.

The Herald’s unrealistic insistence that all news-related tweets be cleared by an editor places too heavy a muzzle on its journalists in this highly competitive media marketplace. This policy is a clear step backwards in a world where journalists and news organizations must remain on the cutting edge of innovation to remain viable.

The NewsGuild of New York stands with Chris Villani and the dozens of journalists at the Herald who have shuttered their twitters to protest this misguided and arbitrary punishment.