NABJ Leadership Voices Delma Francis, Associate Editor/Teen Page
Coordinator, Minneapolis Star Tribune
and NABJ Region VIII Director I would send a rather strong message saying it's time to stop talking and start doing. And if they're not sincere about really wanting diversity, stop talking about it. Personally, I'm sick to death of the striving and struggling our generation of journalists has had to deal with and in some ways we're no better off than in the 70s. Worse maybe because we had our hopes up that if we worked hard and climbed the ladder rung by rung we'd eventually make it to the top. Well, guess what? Most of us are still stuck on the middle rungs. And all that schtick about parity by 2000. Well, here we are in 2001 and not only is there not parity, many newsrooms are as lily-white as ever. That's why people are leaving the business. If editors have to set up mentoring programs within their newspapers for people of color, then so be it. We can mentor each other, but let's face it; there aren't enough of us in the upper echelon of newspapering to be a lot of help. Gregory Lee, Sports Assignment Editor, The Washington Post,
and NABJ Secretary and SEED Chairman The most frustrating thing about this topic is that it continues to be a concern over a period of years and there is no resolution, only TALK. You hear the same tired arguments: It's difficult attracting minorities to smaller papers because of excuse Number One: Money. Let's get this clear before we go any further. The perception is that minorities want money, first and foremost. Let me challenge you: Would you rather earn $40K or $20K a year? Dena' McClurkin, Clark Atlanta University,
Class of 2001, and NABJ Student Representative In one case, this one young lady, who is black, went into this newspaper, through the Dow Jones program, and she felt isolated. The other interns came through the newspaper on their own, and were of a different race, and stuck together. And because she came from a "program," they made her feel as she was a token black and that she probably did not have to work as hard to get the internship. The newsroom also wasn't an environment that she felt welcomed in. And if it wasn't for another reporter, who was black, who sat her down and taught her about the newsroom, and how things work there, she would have never made it through. And, a lot of times, a lot of students aren't as fortunate as she was to have someone there. At my first internship, I was in a small town that had a minority population of 0.2 percent, and I was one of two minorities at the entire paper, not only in the newsroom - but in the entire paper. At first, I had no problem. I went in there and tried to be a team player. But I had an editor who made racist jibes to the other minority reporter, such as "Chinky Chan," across the newsroom. I found those statements to be very offensive. I feel like my back is against the wall. I love journalism. I love being a reporter. However, I have to choose between two evils: A small- or medium-size paper where the pay isn't appealing and will drive me into poverty, or going to a larger newsroom where I will only be a number and not get the attention that I need, but have a nice salary. Tom Morgan, retired, The New York Times, and a past NABJ President We have to reevaluate the efforts to not only hire minorities in the news business, but to retain them. For the numbers to decline during a period of record growth is particularly troubling. I'm concerned that the rise in the economy didn't result in an increase in the numbers of minority journalists. However, the declining numbers reflect a growing anger and frustration among minority journalists across the board from those in senior positions to those in the rank-and-file. They are leaving because they don't feel wanted, don't feel valued and don't have the right opportunities. Some of our best efforts have been ineffective. We need to have a call for renewal of intent and purpose. NABJ intends to be a key player in this effort and we challenge the industry to join us so we can make newsroom ranks what they should be when it comes to true diversity. It comes back down to mentoring. No one can succeed without someone helping him or her honestly understand what it will take to succeed. The level of expectation about what they should be able to do is low and they don't get the kind of mentoring they need. Editors have to invest the time and the energy to make a difference in careers. I often hear from white editors that when they mentor minority journalists that they often leave for one of their rivals. I would counter that people stay when they feel that they get the very best opportunities. There are numerous veteran journalists and senior editors who have declined coming to The New York Times, which many see as the jewel of the newspaper industry. That clearly says that some people respond to the best value and commitment and they choose to stay at smaller newspapers in smaller markets. Just make them feel like they make a difference and help them succeed. We all want to succeed. Lynne Varner, Editorial Writer, Seattle Times and NABJ Region X Director I have been a journalist for nearly 14 years and I believe this is the worst it has been in a long time. I use what I see around me as my barometer. When I first arrived at the medium-size Seattle daily where I have now been for six years, there were numerous African American journalists in the newsroom. All were enthusiastic and happy to be at the paper. None were thinking of leaving. Today there are five blacks in our newsroom. Three are recent hires. Those who left the paper left disenchanted and even embittered. They have severed ties with the paper and the industry. What happened? Not as much attention paid to retention as paid to recruitment. My black colleagues were recruited avidly and then set adrift. They did not have regular mentors or relationships with higher-ups willing to go to bat for them. There are few African American college students who choose to study graphic arts, photography or copy editing. This translates to a dearth of candidates for newspaper recruiters. The news industry must tackle this problem at its lowest level - high schools. I have considered leaving the field. I have been courted by many of the top newspapers in this country but my husband and I prefer to remain in Seattle. Thus, I have a draconian choice: continue to work in isolation, endure low pay and little chance of upward mobility or leave the industry. I find that while my talents are respected and welcomed, I am generally ignored until there is a threat of my leaving. Six months ago I was given a promotion that I had asked for and been refused for three years. The promotion came the day I announced my resignation. Since then I have excelled at my new job and my editors tell me they are quite pleased. But it was a long, lonely struggle with my nearly leaving an industry that I love to get this. Most people would not persevere so long. They'd simply move on to a place or industry where they had a better chance of success. Editors must understand that when they hire a black journalist they must also reach out to accept that person and all their cultural differences. Merely placing them in the newsroom and then leaving them out of all decisions, mentorships and other activities that would lead to a black journalist's comfort and advancement is foolhardy. Journalists who are ignored like that will become embittered, perhaps show a decrease in productivity and eventually leave. Vanessa Williams, assistant city editor, The Washington Post, and immediate past president of NABJ In my opinion, at the heart of the retention issue is continued skepticism among African American journalists that newsroom managers respect and trust them and value their work as much as they do white journalists, particularly white male journalists. Managers still too often hesitate, express doubts and demand some proof that black journalists can handle assignments that they wouldn't thick twice about handing to white journalists. They're still talking that "I don't know if so-and-so is ready" crap. As a result, it often takes too long for black journalists to get assignments they think they deserve, which leads to frustration, discouragement and, finally, their departures. Along the same lines, managers give up too easily or get too nervous when a black journalist makes a mistake, hits a slump or doesn't appear to have mastered one aspect or another of the craft. Since becoming an editor, I have been surprised at how some white journalists are not as good as the hype on them and some black journalists are not as bad as the rap on them. Why does this happen? I think white managers - male and female - are still much more comfortable with young white journalists, particularly men. I guess they look at them and see themselves back in the day and relate in a way that they don't - and maybe can't - connect with black journalists.
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