{"id":2373216,"date":"2024-11-25T12:18:01","date_gmt":"2024-11-25T17:18:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/news-outlets-take-undisclosed-union-cash-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-11-25T12:21:13","modified_gmt":"2024-11-25T17:21:13","slug":"news-outlets-take-undisclosed-union-cash-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/news-outlets-take-undisclosed-union-cash-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"News outlets take undisclosed union cash &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fnews-outlets-take-undisclosed-union-cash-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2373216&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses how several liberal news outlets have <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">reportedly received substantial \u200cundisclosed financial support<\/a> from teachers&#8217; unions, specifically the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the National Education Association \u2062(NEA). Over the past couple of years, publications such as *The New Republic*, *American Prospect*, and Courier Newsroom have collected significant sums\u2014about $905,000 combined. After receiving this funding,\u2064 they published favorable coverage of the unions without acknowledging the financial ties.<\/p>\n<p>Courier Newsroom,\u2063 for example, received $500,000 from the NEA and has run numerous stories portraying the union positively across\u2062 multiple \u200cstates including\u2063 Arizona and\u200b Virginia. Meanwhile, *The New Republic* has also published positive \u2063articles about the AFT and its president, Randi Weingarten, following a $225,000 contribution from the union. \u2063Critics, including labor watchdogs, \u200cargue this behavior indicates a lack of transparency and manipulates public perception about the unions, framing their funding as an attempt to push an ideologically driven agenda while not reflecting their financial relationships. The article highlights the ongoing concerns over the ethical implications of such financial arrangements in\u200c journalism.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">News outlets push pro-union stories while taking undisclosed cash from organized labor<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1846025\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>A trio of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/liberal\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">liberal<\/a> publications has raked in hundreds of thousands of dollars from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/teachers-unions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">teachers unions<\/a> over the past couple of years, a fact that is not disclosed in their positive coverage of those same unions.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The <em>New Republic<\/em>, <em>American Prospect,<\/em> and Courier Newsroom have collectively accepted $905,000 since 2022 from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/american-federation-of-teachers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">American Federation of Teachers<\/a> and the National Education Association, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/NEA22_merged.pdf\">according<\/a> to the unions&rsquo; financial disclosures. After accepting funds from the two largest teachers unions in the nation, each of these outlets went on to publish pieces, painting them in a positive light without disclosing the funding arrangement.<\/p>\n<p>For instance, Courier Newsroom, which runs a <a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2023\/11\/24\/courier-newsroom-dark-money-democrat-elections\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">dark money-funded<\/a> network of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3129603\/soros-backed-fake-news-network-swing-state-boost-democrats\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">left-leaning publications<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/couriernewsroom.com\/local\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">operating<\/a> out of 11 swing states, received $500,000 from the NEA and $35,000 from the AFT between 2022 and 2024. Following the donations, Courier&rsquo;s outlets in <a href=\"https:\/\/coppercourier.com\/2023\/05\/02\/basis-tucson-teacher-union\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Arizona<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/vadogwood.com\/2024\/06\/05\/fairfax-educators-collective-bargaining\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Virginia<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/keystonenewsroom.com\/2024\/11\/20\/trump-mcmahon-education-secretary\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Pennsylvania<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/upnorthnewswi.com\/2024\/11\/14\/voters-reject-school-vouchers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Wisconsin<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/gandernewsroom.com\/2023\/06\/07\/teachers-and-allies-ready-teach-truth-day-of-action-on-june-10\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Michigan<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/floricuanews.com\/2024\/11\/20\/trump-mcmahon-education-secretary\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Florida<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/iowastartingline.com\/2023\/11\/13\/moms-for-libertys-far-right-agenda-rejected-by-voters\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Iowa<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/cardinalpine.com\/2024\/03\/21\/video-why-its-so-important-to-know-your-history\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">North Carolina<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/thenevadannews.com\/2024\/07\/19\/biassotti-wants-ban-books-ccsd\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Nevada<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/granitepostnews.com\/2024\/05\/28\/nh-federal-court-strikes-down-classroom-censorship-teaching-law\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">New Hampshire<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/couriertexas.com\/2024\/11\/14\/voters-reject-school-vouchers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Texas<\/a> all published stories portraying the NEA favorably.<\/p>\n<p><em>Cardinal &amp; Pine<\/em>, Courier&rsquo;s North Carolina outpost, published a video on its website in March of NEA President Rebecca Pringle explaining the importance of teaching school children that the United States is systematically racist. The article accompanying the video makes no mention that the NEA had wired half a million dollars to Courier in just a few years.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Courier&rsquo;s New Hampshire newsroom,<em> Granite Post<\/em>, framed the NEA and AFT positively in a May story about a court battle over classroom book bans. <em>Dogwood<\/em>, Courier&rsquo;s publication in Virginia, published a piece in June arguing that a NEA-backed collective bargaining effort would improve student learning. Neither of these outlets nor any of Courier&rsquo;s other publications that mentioned the teachers unions disclosed Courier&rsquo;s financial transactions with the AFT and NEA in their coverage of those organizations.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">&ldquo;All these outlets rely on patronage and advertising from ideologically aligned donors and groups to stay afloat, so, of course, the teachers unions are supporting their ideological allies,&rdquo; Mike Watson, research director at the Capital Research Center and an expert on organized labor, told the&nbsp;<em>Washington Examiner<\/em>.<\/span>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten speaks to students at New River Middle School, Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Weingarten is on a nationwide tour of schools to stress the importance of safely returning to five-day-a-week in-person learning. Broward County is one of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fbi-warns-california-genetics-company-likely-shares-americans-health-data-with-china\/\" title=\"FBI Warns California Genetics Company Likely Shares Americans\u2019 Health Data With China\">numerous school districts<\/a> in Florida with a mask mandate for students. (AP Photo\/Lynne Sladky)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The <em>New Republic <\/em>accepted $225,000 from the AFT between August 2023 and April 2024, according to financial disclosures. Subsequently, the publication ran multiple pieces presenting both the union and its president, Randi Weingarten, positively. One such story, published in October 2023, <a href=\"https:\/\/newrepublic.com\/post\/176205\/book-bans-conservative-plot-destroy-public-schools-says-randi-weingarten\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">amplified<\/a> Weingarten&rsquo;s argument that conservative efforts to ban sexually explicit books from public schools are part of a broader scheme to &ldquo;destroy&rdquo; government education. Nowhere in the piece did the outlet<em> <\/em>disclose its financial ties to the AFT. The <em>New Republic <\/em>also ran a joint &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/CyVpdajvTJX\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Banned Book Tour<\/a>&rdquo; with the AFT around the time they ran the article, which the piece does mention.<\/p>\n<p>The publication ran <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Tim-Walz-Is-a-Dream-Pick-for-the-Labor-Movement-_-The-New-Republic.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">two<\/a> more <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Kamalas-V.P.-Pick-Sparks-Major-Endorsements-That-Should-Scare-Trump-_-The-New-Republic-1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">pieces<\/a> in August compiling labor leaders&rsquo; praise for Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) shortly after he was named the Democratic Party&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kamala-harris-backed-bail-fund-freed-alleged-domestic-abuser-now-accused-of-murder\/\" title=\"Kamala Harris-Backed Bail Fund Freed Alleged Domestic Abuser Now Accused Of Murder\">vice presidential nominee<\/a>. The stories contained praise for Walz from the AFT, again without disclosing the publication&rsquo;s financial relationship with the union.<\/p>\n<p>After the <em>Washington Examiner <\/em>reached <span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">out to The&nbsp;<em>New Republic&nbsp;<\/em>for comment, the outlet added parenthetical disclosures to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/newrepublic.com\/article\/184637\/tim-walz-great-sign-workers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">some<\/a>&nbsp;of its pieces,<\/span> noting that AFT had recently &ldquo;sponsored or co-sponsored&rdquo; some of the publication&rsquo;s events.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3220424\/how-democrats-can-adjust-to-avoid-future-defeats\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong>DEMOCRATS WEIGH CHANGE IN STRATEGY TO AVOID MIDTERM AND 2028 DEFEATS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This scheme by NEA and AFT is another example of union bosses taking the dues money of teachers they claim to &lsquo;represent&rsquo; and pumping it into ideologically-motivated activities designed to promote their coercive and dysfunctional agenda,&rdquo; National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation Vice President Patrick Semmens said in a statement to the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s been well-known since even before the COVID school reopening debacles that public school systems and the kids within them have suffered irreparable damage as the result of AFT&rsquo;s and NEA&rsquo;s extremism and lust for power, so it&rsquo;s reprehensible yet unsurprising that they are blowing workers&rsquo; money on whitewashing their doings under the guise of &lsquo;news.&rsquo;&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Charlyce Bozzello, communications director for the right-of-center labor watchdog Center for Union Facts, told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> that public unions, including the NEA and AFT, often funnel money into liberal causes &ldquo;without the consent or knowledge of workers&rdquo; which is why &ldquo;transparency on union spending is so critical.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The <em>American Prospect<\/em>, a left-of-center outlet based in Washington, D.C., received $100,000 from the AFT in February. Since then, the outlet has run a number of positive stories about the union without disclosing its financial relationship.<\/p>\n<p>In March, it ran a piece <a href=\"https:\/\/prospect.org\/world\/2024-03-25-marginal-realists-of-standing-together\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">commending<\/a> Weingarten for her handling of tension arising from the war between Israel and Hamas. In April, it published a piece <a href=\"https:\/\/prospect.org\/labor\/2024-04-29-great-week-for-american-workers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">praising<\/a> an apprenticeship program the union was involved in, prompting Weingarten to <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/rweingarten\/status\/1785146536659452180\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">promote<\/a> the story on social media. In June, the <em>American Prospect <\/em>covered the union&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/prospect.org\/blogs-and-newsletters\/tap\/2024-06-18-teachers-in-the-south-go-union\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">expansion<\/a> in southern states.<\/p>\n<p>None of the outlet&rsquo;s coverage of the AFT made note of its financial relationship with the union.<\/p>\n<p>Watson added in his comment to the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> that &ldquo;left-wing journalists would probably say the same things about education that they&rsquo;re saying while taking the union funds&rdquo; even if the money wasn&rsquo;t flowing to them. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I think it says more about the teachers unions than the journalists: They want to build left-wing infrastructure, not work for children&rsquo;s education,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<p>The <em>American Prospect<\/em> and Courier did not respond to the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>&rsquo;s requests for comment. The NEA and AFT also did not respond when contacted.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1846025\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1846025\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Liberal outlets promote pro-union narratives while hiding union funding<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":894,"featured_media":2373217,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/SchoolChoice_052824-1024x683.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[5157,4188,4133,12404,5038],"class_list":["post-2373216","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-journalism","tag-media","tag-news","tag-transparency","tag-unions"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/SchoolChoice_052824-1024x683.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2373216","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/894"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2373216"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2373216\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2373220,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2373216\/revisions\/2373220"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2373217"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2373216"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2373216"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2373216"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}