Cutbacks in print journalism are taking their toll on people at the Boston Globe. Last week we blogged about the Boston Newspaper Guild's vote on a proposed contract which would tie the salaries of reporters to the Globe's financial performance, raising the specter of "pay-for-play" journalism. Luckily the measure was voted down, but not because reporters didn't want to be questioned about their objectivity; the contract was rejected because it didn't include profits from Boston.com, the Globe's online property, which is doing very well.
Now it comes out that the Boston Newspaper Guild lobbied for and got the support of some of Boston's more influential politicians in its bid to get the New York Times Co. (the Globe's parent) to halt the cutbacks. If the journalists are lobbying politicians to save their jobs, what happens when it comes time to cover those politicians in the paper?