NEWS : Food Writers Reject Contract at N.Y. Times

At least two prominent free-lance food writers are refusing to work for the New York Times, and several more are threatening similar action after being presented with new contracts they say are unfair.

The new agreement specifies that free-lance writers do “work-for-hire,” meaning that the copyright to any material they sell to the newspaper belongs solely to the newspaper. Similar contracts are being implemented by other newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times.

The contract has been widely attacked by writers’ groups, including the Authors Guild, the American Society of Journalists and Authors and the National Writers Union. It is a major issue for food writers, who frequently re-use recipes in other articles, television shows and, especially, in cookbooks.

French chef Jacques Pepin, who has written for the New York Times for more than 25 years, resigned by letter last month. “[I] have been involved with the Food Section since Craig Claiborne started writing a food column for the paper in the late 1950s,” wrote Pepin, who is on tour in Europe and couldn’t be reached for comment. “As you may know, my compensation from the Times for these columns is $400 per article, a meager if not ridiculous sum, and I receive none of the benefits of the newspaper’s full-time employees.

“Now, with the Times’ request for all rights, including electronic, to the material they publish, without any additional compensation to the writers involved, I must, sadly, terminate my long association with the newspaper.”

Nina Simonds, a well-respected writer on Chinese cooking, also refuses to work under the terms of the new contract. “I was just finishing an article for [them] when I was told of the policy,” she said. “I received the contract, and I really can’t sign it. There’s not even a gesture toward additional compensation, which I think is unfair.”

The new contract is a result of newspapers’ expansion into other media. Once newspaper stories were written simply for print; now, they are compiled electronically for use also on online services.

“No one knows what the potential of electronic rights is,” Simonds said. “Newspapers are realizing that going online is another source of substantial income. What writers are asking for is basically to be compensated for their contribution to that income.”

A rumor that the New York Times is considering a contract exemption for recipe writers could not be confirmed.

And as for Pepin’s letter of resignation, his assistant, Norma Galehouse, said that after a month, “we’re still waiting for a reply.”