On Friday’s edition of The Daily Source for Reliable InformationBrian Stelter of CNN+ wanted to speak about the “subject that affects every other subject: diversity in media.” But what he meant by “diversity” didn’t immediately include a diversity of ideology or thought, to include more conservative-minded people in the newsroom, but rather it was about race and alleged racial disparity in newsroom pay and opportunity.
“Diversifying newsrooms is a process that does not stop. More voices from diverse backgrounds are better news.However, newsrooms still have a long way to go before they can get there. It’s been a problem for years across the United States,” he lamented.
For his first point, Stelter cited numbers from The Washington Post Newspaper Guild that said “the median salaries for white men in the newsroom is $124,000. For black women, 24 percent less; that’s $95,000.”
The point was not to suggest. The Post was being racist in how it pays black women, he hamstrung his argument by later admitting that they’re trying “to hire more people of color but the paper’s having trouble keeping them, retaining them.”
So, it appears Stelter missed the probable reason behind the disparity: people aren’t staying long enough to get substantial pay raises and they’re leaving while still getting a new hire’s salary.
But that didn’t stop Candour CEO Ruchika Tulshyan from making it about racism and “intersectionality”:
Firstly, obviously, salary and equity; huge issue we’re just hearing about. If you consider intersectional approaches, black women’s salaries are 24% lower than those of white men. Right? In comparable roles. It’s a huge problem already.
She also critiqued the general financial plight of average journalists and noted that when you “enter the industry” it’s with “unpaid internships” (not at the Media Research Center). “When you even think about how you enter the industry, journalists are anyway already paid really low wages. Unless you make it right to those superstar roles” or you use “your personal network is a way to get in,” she said.
What’s ironic is that’s exactly how Stelter managed to score a gig at The New York TimesRight out of college
Tulshyan also griped about having to do what most journalists need to when pitching stories: “having to justify why certain stories need to exist…”
“Pragmatically, what is the cost of having newsrooms that lack a more representative set of voices,” Stelter asked her.
Of course, Tulshyan’s response about how democracy was at stake(!):
Well, there’s the larger – the biggest cost – I cannot overstate this – it is an erosion of our democracy if we cannot have representative voices covering our bigger stories. And I think that’s one of the reasons why the media has failed to in so many ways as we think about, you know, elections. Every election cycle we have, you know, these big surprises and for a lot of people of color, they’re not big surprises. Are you sure?
“So there is that. “I mean: the erosion of democracy is – I cannot overstate – I know it sounds like I might be alarmist or something, but I’m not it truly is an issue,” she added.
You can find the transcript below. To read it, please click on “expand”.
CNN+’s The Daily Sources of Reliable Information
April 15, 2022
Eastern at 11:09:08BRIAN STALTER: Let’s get to the subject that has an impact on all other subjects: media diversity. The process of diversifying newsrooms does not end. It is better for us to have more voices coming from different backgrounds. However, newsrooms are still struggling to reach the level they should be. It’s been a problem for years across the United States.
And this week The Washington Post Newspaper Guild writes, quote, “a truth that’s indisputable: The Washington Post operates with systems that create and perpetuate inequalities.”
This week, the guild released data that shows white newsroom employees earn $124,000 on average. For black women, 24 percent less; that’s $95,000.
(…)
Eastern at 11:10 a.m.
STELTER: Here’s a look at one of America’s most important newsrooms. And what it has left to do. This is what the guild has to say The Post does seem to be making a real effort to hire more people of color but the paper’s having trouble keeping them, retaining them. What does this say about the progress made by newsrooms in diversity and inclusion?
RUCHIKA TULSHYAN: (CEO Candour) So Brian, actually, I think it’s an issue across every aspect of the life cycle of hiring and retention. Right? Firstly, obviously, salary and equity; huge issue we’re just hearing about. If you consider intersectional approaches, black women’s salaries are 24% lower than those of white men. Right? In comparable roles. It’s a huge problem already.
Journalists are paid low wages if you consider how they entered the industry. You won’t make it to the top if you don’t. Unpaid internships are a way to get in. You can get into the program through your personal network. I’m a former business journalist, so I know this game really well, unfortunately. So, there’s that.
Not to mention the trauma and challenge of reporting stories about communities of colour.
It was amazing to meet so many journalists. When I first started working in the newsroom, I had to explain why stories should exist. Making that sort of constant – reminding folks, you know, we’re here and this is why we need to do better.
As journalists, we have to deal with issues such as racism and trauma. I could continue.
STELTER : Yes, I do. I’ll show you more data. You can see the gender and racial differences in paid. The Washington Post. Black men were more successful than white women, although the newsroom sample contained only 29 black men and just 207 white females.
Its part The Post said it’s committed to paying employees fairly and it’s put new systems into place to diversify. But you know, that graphic on-screen is remarkable that you have such a different data – you know so many disparities that take years to address.
How representative is a newsroom if it lacks a greater number of voices?
TULSHYAN: Well, there’s the larger – the biggest cost – I cannot overstate this – it is an erosion of our democracy if we cannot have representative voices covering our bigger stories. And I think that’s one of the reasons why the media has failed to in so many ways as we think about, you know, elections. Every election cycle we have, you know, these big surprises and for a lot of people of color, they’re not big surprises. Are you sure?
There you have it. I mean, the erosion of democracy is – I cannot overstate – I know it sounds like I might be alarmist or something, but I’m not it truly is an issue.
(…)
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