Help DKG Solidarity Group celebrate Valentine's Day!
This story is part of a series of “I ❤️ DK Guild” posts written by Community members to show their support for the writing, activism, and site services work of DK Guild members.
All of us together make Daily Kos the most vibrant progressive community on the net. Let's do everything we can to keep it that way!
As a lifelong bleeding-heart liberal, I’ve always supported unions, despite zero first-hand experience. No unions were available for my profession and I once thought workers in my field never would be unionized (then 19,000 grad student members of UAW 2865 prove me wrong!). I’m quite familiar with Daily Kos, however, and have worked with staff and Community members on varied projects during the nine years since joining. You might know me through my conservation stories—the most recent one eulogized a famous mountain lion—or disability advocacy with KosAbility, or my Community Spotlight series (2020-2021) and work as a Rescue Ranger. I’ve met many members in person locally and at Netroots, plus I was generously supported by the Community in 2018 when the Camp Fire destabilized my life. I’ve experienced the generosity, sharp wit, and compassion of the Community and staff and as elfling noted today: “Daily Kos has always had this style and history, internally and externally, for all of its 20+ years. We look out for each other.”
The Daily Kos visible when scrolling the front page is the latest iteration resulting from nearly 21 years of collective efforts that blossomed after kos (Markos Moulitsas) began DK as his personal blog in May 2002. Since then, staff writers and editors, technical, social, and activism teams, and Community members have flourished. We all have supported candidates, causes, and each other through online and in-person interactions and have developed a distinctive and well-known identity.
In a comment to my first story for the Community Spotlight series, giddy thing observed that story rescue “is such a generous feature of DKos.” Susan Gardner, who later became DK Executive Editor (one of many who moved from Community member to staff), kicked off her rescue project on April 6, 2006. Two months later, she asked Community members to help during her absence to attend the first Yearly Kos, which transformed into Netroots Nation the following year. Seventeen years later, Netroots now is a progressive organizing and activism powerhouse—and a union supporter.
The reason many of us are here, whether Community members, staff, or casual readers, is our desire to go beyond information, we want to be stirred to actions that align with our interests and values, and to share our interests with like-minded people. That’s why I’ve always embraced the “bleeding-heart liberal” label—because I don’t believe it is overly emotional to passionately support social safety nets, justice, and equality.
Today, we are here to “do something about” the DK Guild, to shout out our support.
DK staff bring their passion for liberal causes to their work—it’s not just a paycheck. Activism Team member Paul Hogarth acknowledged this in his DKG update “I work for Daily Kos: It is more than a job, it is a calling.” So did staff writer Brandi Buchman in “I work for Daily Kos: Our writers can speak truth to power—for now.” Adam Whitley, Senior Frontend Engineer, summed this up in his story today.
I’ve been working in tech for about 15 years now and the team I’m on is the smartest, kindest, most thoughtful, and most creative group of people I’ve had the pleasure to work with. More than that, the work I’m doing has a real-world impact. In the short time I’ve been here, I’ve seen the deep roots of Daily Kos work to help secure a historic result in the 2022 midterms … I love the fact that everything I do at my job is in some small way helping push for a better future for my kids’ generation.
In her DKG story, copy editor Adrienne Crezo reminded us about the importance of the staff to the DK mission: “Our jobs, collectively, are to give you the news and something you can do about it.”
When I received notification about the I ❤️ Daily Kos Guild Valentine’s Day blogathon, of course I volunteered. Every day we are generously informed, motivated, and encouraged by what we read here and I want this to continue. Thus, I’m fully supportive of the Daily Kos Guild and their efforts to negotiate terms for the upcoming staff layoffs and to ensure agreed terms are upheld. As Community member Glen the Plumber said in his DKG support story: “All of us together, writers and readers, staff and community, made Daily Kos the leading voice of progressivism on the internet. I want to see Kos Media, LLC reflect that progressivism.”
I understand economic issues drive these layoffs, issues that are playing out across the news media. However, the staff facing layoffs are people I’ve worked with, read, and personally know, people who have informed us and guided our activism. I don’t want any of them to leave, but if finances require downsizing staff, then I want this handled with compassion. I want Daily Kos to “act with your heart and not just your wallet,” as the Guild requested in their story today explaining a hitch with the voluntary buyouts.
Please, Daily Kos, measure up to the values of a progressive business—it’s the bleeding-heart liberal way.
How to Support the Daily Kos Guild:
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Recommend this story—help it reach and stay on the Trending list.
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Leave a comment, even if it is just a word or two, to let them know you are an ally. Memes, gifs, union logos, photos, emojis, anything—say hello!
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Follow the DKG Solidarity group!
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Send a Kosmail to @DK Guild to let us know you’re with us
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Share a link to all stories posted within the DK Guild Solidarity group on all social media, and tag us @DailyKosGuild on Twitter and Instagram.
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Use these hashtags when possible: #DailyKosGuild #NegotiateWithDKG #Solidarity
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Follow @DailyKosGuild on Twitter and Instagram.
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Please also follow individual Daily Kos writers and Staff on Twitter and Instagram.
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Please sign the DK Guild petition: Tell Daily Kos to uphold its mission, values, and commitment to working people, and share the petition link with others
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Share this story with pro-union friends and family through texts, email, and personal conversation!
Previous diaries from today’s “I ♥ DK Guild” series:
Daily Kos Guild Statement on voluntary buyout terms and process by Daily Kos Guild
I ❤️ DK Guild: This is community by Brandi Buchman
I ❤️ DK Guild: A German Gingerbread Heart in Solidarity With the Workers of Daily Kos by citisven
I work for Daily Kos: What we do is important, and it takes all of us by Adam Whitley
I ❤️ DK Guild: Look for the union label by belinda ridgewood
I ❤️ DK Guild. Really. by BeninSC
I ❤️ DK Guild: Support your local union by bubbanomics
I ❤️ DK Guild: The dignity of work by DrLori
I ❤️ DK Guild: One voice can easily be lost. Many together? Not so much by Jon Sitzman
I ❤️ DK Guild: My recent union story by samanthab
I ❤️ DK Guild: Here's a Valentine's Day message from a retired long-time News Media Guild member by Charles Jay
I ❤️ DK Guild: Solidarity from the Valley of Heart's Delight by Glen the Plumber