Rally to save local news and the Hartford Courant

In Feb. 2019, the journalists at the Hartford Courant formed a union to preserve and strengthen their newspaper after many years of devastating cuts. But two years after organizing, they still don’t have a contract and the Courant is now at risk of being sold to Alden Global Capital, a hedge fund with a reputation for destroying local papers.

The Courant NewsGuild is rallying to draw attention to the crisis facing the newspaper. Hartford and Connecticut need the Courant! 

What: Union members and community stakeholders will rally in support of local news and the Hartford Courant and will stand together in solidarity against Alden Global Capital, the self-dealing, slash-and-burn hedge fund seeking to buy the newspaper. On May 21, the directors of Tribune Publishing, the Courant’s corporate parent, will vote on a potential purchase of the chain by Alden, a bad actor that has a history of sucking the life out of local newspapers. We oppose this sale and will continue fighting for civic-minded, local owners even if Alden acquires the Courant.

When: 1 p.m. Saturday May 15

Where: State parking lot at Broad Street and Capitol Avenue, next to our former building at 285 Broad Street 

Timeline: 

12:30 p.m. Organizers arrive to set up 
1 p.m. Rally begins. Passing out flyers and posters.
1:15 p.m Speakers begin
1:45 p.m. Group lines the sidewalk in front of the Courant
2 p.m. Rally ends. Passing out flyers to people on their way out. 

Confirmed speakers:

• U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal
• Sal Luciano, president of Connecticut AFL-CIO
• Other lawmakers