New York Times and The Athletic Workers Oppose Kalshi Deal

Union Opposition to Kalshi Partnership

Unionized employees from The New York Times and The Athletic have unanimously voted to oppose a potential deal between The Athletic and Kalshi. The workers expressed deep concern that such a partnership would compromise the journalistic independence of both entities, despite management's claims of separate business operations.

Concerns Over Journalistic Independence

The primary concern raised by the workers is that integrating Kalshi's prediction market product into The Athletic's journalism could lead readers to question the independence of their reporting, especially when covering prediction markets. They argue that any partnership beyond simple advertising space could blur the lines between editorial content and a platform that allows users to bet on real-world events.

Kalshi's Legal Status and Accountability

Workers highlighted that New York officials have described Kalshi's prediction markets as an "illegal operation." An investigation by New York’s attorney general reportedly found Kalshi's platform to be an "illegal, unlicensed gambling operation" that exposes users to "serious personal and financial risk." The union believes a partnership would validate Kalshi's data as a reliable indicator of the future, despite these findings.

Call for Adherence to Core Values

The union referenced New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger's statement that journalistic independence is the "core value" that ensures public trust. They are calling on the company to uphold this commitment and terminate any plans for a deal with Kalshi, emphasizing that facts contradict the idea that Kalshi's prediction market data should be taken seriously.