[1] In addition to improving wages and working conditions, its constitution says its purpose is to fight for honesty in journalism and the news industry's business practices.

The NewsGuild-CWA now represents workers in a wide range of roles including editorial, technology, advertising, and others at newspapers, online publications, magazines, news services, and in broadcast.

Its membership has expanded from just journalists to many other employees of newspapers and news agencies, such as clerks who take classified ads and computer support workers.

[13] Heywood launched the Guild during the Depression according to the biography which Richard O'Connor said, "newspapermen to take a more practical view of their working conditions and organize against the rapacity of publishers".

During the earlier times of the Guild, there were complaints from the "rapacious" publishers about federal regulation of minimum wages and maximum hours for newsroom workers set by the National Recovery Act.

The publishers wanted an amount of money to not pay tax on from the NRA on constitutional grounds and their First Amendment rights would be prohibited if the workers were forced to restrictive management under the government as the forty-hour work week.

In an effort to elevate the standards of journalism, it was resolved: That the American Newspaper Guild strive tirelessly for integrity of news columns and the opportunity for its members to discharge their social responsibility: not stopping until the men and women who write, graphically portray or edit news have achieved freedom of conscience to report faithfully, when they occur – and refuse by distortion and suppression to create – political, economic, industrial and military wars.

Estimated at but one-tenth of the total membership of that unit, the radical element has been able to constitute a majority in the past at most meetings by being able to command full attendance of its group.

Control of the New York unit with its large membership and voting power at national conventions, equal to one-fifth of the whole Guild, gave this element a disproportionate influence.

Gone forever are the days when the newspaperman himself, as well as the public, considered his work as something unique, a shining adventure and somewhat sanctified calling, not to be measured in terms of dollar-and-cent rewards.

[17] In July 2020 NewsGuild president Jon Schleuss sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, noting his warning "that the local news industry is facing an extinction-level event".