A byline strike is a type of labor
strike
Strike may refer to:
People
* Strike (surname)
Physical confrontation or removal
*Strike (attack), attack with an inanimate object or a part of the human body intended to cause harm
*Airstrike, military strike by air forces on either a suspected ...
in which news reporters, photographers or graphic artists refuse to allow their names to appear in
byline
The byline (or by-line in British English) on a newspaper or magazine article gives the name of the writer of the article. Bylines are commonly placed between the headline and the text of the article, although some magazines (notably ''Reader's D ...
s with their stories or other contributions.
[(12 February 1976)]
Reporters At Post Bar Use of Bylines
''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' (reporting on 1976 byline strike at the ''New York Post
The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com.
It was established ...
'') The purpose of removing the byline is to attract public and management attention. The effectiveness of such actions is debated, but a byline strike can provide a means of expressing dissatisfaction without incurring the greater risk of a full strike.
[(17 June 2004)]
What's the Point of a Byline Strike?
''Slate''[Ritea, Steve (March 2003)]
The Protest That Knows No Name
, ''American Journalism Review
The ''American Journalism Review'' (''AJR'') was an American magazine covering topics in journalism. It was launched in 1977 as the ''Washington Journalism Review'' by journalist Roger Kranz. It ceased publication in 2015.
History and profile
Th ...
''[(16 December 2008)]
AP reporters, photographers stage 'byline strike'
''Agence France-Presse
Agence France-Presse (AFP) is a French international news agency headquartered in Paris, France. Founded in 1835 as Havas, it is the world's oldest news agency.
AFP has regional headquarters in Nicosia, Montevideo, Hong Kong and Washington, D.C ...
''
Analysis or opinion pieces may not run at all during byline strikes, because publishing such contributions without author attribution may not meet editorial standards.
[(10 July 1987)]
At Washington Post, Byline Strike Goes On
''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' (reporting that the ''Washington Post'' was not running opinion articles "because Post editors decided it was not possible to run analysis or opinion pieces without identifying the author")
The concept of a "byline strike" arises from the practice of allowing reporters to have a byline removed from a piece which they object to after it has been edited or otherwise altered. Bylines, though widely used today, only came into active use starting from the 1920s.
[Hamilton, John Maxwell]
Journalism's Roving Eye: A History of American Foreign Reporting
p. 225-26 (2009)
References
{{reflist
Strikes (protest)