Media companies expand health coverage after the Supreme Court abortion ruling.

Jun 30, 2022
Media companies expand health coverage after the Supreme Court abortion ruling.

[ad_1]

For the reason that Supreme Court docket’s ruling on abortion, some media firms have wrestled with a posh subject: how one can steadiness their information protection with the will to broaden their insurance policies to guard reproductive well being care for his or her workers.

Vox Media’s chief govt, Jim Bankoff, consulted along with his prime editors to ensure the company response to the courtroom’s ruling wouldn’t undermine protection. BuzzFeed chief govt Jonah Peretti, who shared his “outrage” in regards to the courtroom’s choice in a memo to his workers, stated in an interview that completely different groups decide the corporate’s editorial and company responses.

“It’s a really delicate steadiness,” stated Michael Schudson, a sociologist and historian of American media. “The information group feels a severe dedication to its personal workers and their well being and security.”

Vox and BuzzFeed joined different media firms, together with CNN, NBCUniversal, and Condé Nast, in saying they might cowl abortion-related journey bills for workers. NBCUniversal’s father or mother firm, Comcast, for instance, will cowl as much as $4,000 per journey and as much as three journeys per yr for worker medical journey, with an annual most of $10,000. Fox Company and The Washington Put up didn’t reply to requests for touch upon whether or not they plan to cowl abortion-related journey.

The New York Occasions on Thursday stated its well being care plan was being expanded to cowl abortion-related journey and different procedures not out there inside 100 miles of an worker’s dwelling, together with gender-affirming care. The corporate stated it was speaking with unions that characterize its workers to guarantee that profit is out there to everybody.

“It’s our purpose to guarantee that everybody who works for the Occasions Firm has equitable entry to care,” stated Danielle Rhoades Ha, an organization spokeswoman. “We’re actively working with the NewsGuild on this matter.”

Mr. Bankoff, of Vox, stated he emphasised journalistic independence in speaking the corporate’s growth of reproductive well being care, which now features a reimbursement of as much as $1,500 for travel-related bills.

“Our viewers is subtle and understands the corporate’s place as an employer is unbiased of the duty of our editorial networks and particular person reporters,” he stated.

Mr. Peretti, of BuzzFeed, stated the corporate’s company and editorial operations had been individually making ready for the courtroom’s ruling since a leak final month revealed that the courtroom was more likely to overturn Roe v. Wade. “The management crew that was assembly to speak about our firm coverage was not the identical people who find themselves in editorial conferences and discussions,” he stated. “Throughout the corporate, the information was disturbing to lots of people.”

[ad_2]

Supply- nytimes