Unions are worker organizations, developers would IMHO be better to have a professional organization. As mentioned previously this would start with some type of professional certification. As a group you could arrange group insurances/benefits administered through the group. The first goal I see would be to start certifying software "Developed by certified professionals (name of organization)". If you can create brand recognition for this certification you will gain some leverage against outsourcing etc. since those developers would not be certified. The organization would also share job and working condition information which would help in individual negotiation and relocation if necessary. The biggest hurdle I see would be if the 1%ers founded a competeing organization that they could control.

Your "recipe" assumes that newspaper editors are of the correct mindset

It's not a matter of correct as much as different. Newspaper editors are used to dictating public opinion not reporting it. One of our local papers only shows photos of acused criminals if they belong to a visible minority, then rails in the editorials about political correctness.
All this free speech is ruining the entire model.