Professional Voices Ann-Marie Adams, Suburban Education Reporter, Hartford Courant and President, Connecticut Association of Black Communicators
With just two years and two months in this business, I’m struggling to decide whether to stay at the Courant, even though my whole family lives here. Me, Ann-Marie Adams, who is so passionate and starry-eyed about journalism, just as I was when I was editor-in chief of my college newspaper almost three years ago. The pay is not the main reason why I might leave. It’s the subtle racism and hostile co-workers I face in the newsroom, where I’m the only black person in my bureau. Expectations are low. ... Retention at The Hartford Courant could be much better. Sure some of the older folks are sticking around. But the younger black folks like me are getting out (or just out of Connecticut perhaps), some within four months of their arrival. I strongly believe they leave because some people here are hostile toward diversity. Sure, the top editors at the Courant say they embrace diversity, but I don’t feel or see that embrace. That’s because top managers, who may be sincere, aren’t monitoring their mid-level editors who directly supervise peons like me. For a year, I got hardly any feedback from my editors despite my constant asking. Despite their lack of support, I recently won a national award for a story one of my editors said I "wasn’t sophisticated enough" to do. Would you believe that even after the award, they -- my four white editors -- didn’t utter the word CONGRATULATIONS? I’ve channeled my anger, frustration and disappointment into organizing a forum on "Diversity Issues in the Newsroom" - emphasis on issues. I strongly feel that maybe this will help me, as well as other journalists in my predicament, deal with the struggle. Wayne Dawkins, Editorial Writer/Columnist, The Daily Press (Newport News, Va.)
I was appalled a few weeks ago by some of the backwards attitudes of editorial page editors and writers on the National Conference of Editorial Writers listserve. It started when the editor in Roanoke put out a reminder about the minority writers workshop in May to encourage journalists of color to consider leaping to opinion writing. A few NCEW people ridiculed the idea of the workshop then immediately got defensive when challenged. People got real skittish on talk of race. Many of these editorial boards, especially at the smaller papers, need to encourage developing new voices. We’re covering an American mosaic, NOT a melting pot. We’ll be jeopardizing our franchises if we don’t include all the human ingredients and moreover, foster an environment to include more folks. Angela Dodson, free-lancer, Trenton, N.J.
Let’s not forget that some of us have not ignored the problems - and have, in fact discussed them, worked on them, went out and taught and found new journalists when they said they couldn’t find any, trained them when they said they couldn’t find the ones with the right skills, mentored the ones in the newsrooms when they had problems, helped our papers recruit more when they left - and still watched the numbers just inch up. When the figures kept showing only slight increases, some people did a lot to help - for which we are very grateful - and others did nothing. ... We can talk some more, but let’s not make it another 25 years or so without real action. Greg Freeman, columnist, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
I think newspapers continue to have a problem in retaining African American journalists and other journalists of color. From talking with colleagues from across the country, I feel that many journalists feel that they aren’t listened to by management in terms of stories and angles. Angles that are perhaps different are often summarily dismissed because they don’t always fit the mold of what some managers think stories should be. Although this seems to changing slowly, there remains a concern that the decision-makers aren’t always listening. That discourages some journalists of color, who feel that their contributions aren’t wanted. Everyone wants to be valued, regardless of color, and if journalists feel that they are not, they are more likely to look elsewhere. ... I’ve never once considered leaving the newspaper business. I continue to love it, even after 24 years in the business. But I know plenty of journalists who have struggled with the idea of leaving or staying. As an example, a colleague has been struggling with this issue for a couple of years. He is a talented, mid-level manager who has been interested in higher management for some time. The newspaper in question, on the other hand, has ignored his requests for a meatier position with additional responsibilities. After several years of this, the journalist has become depressed about his job, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see him leave the newspaper business for something else. It would be a shame: He’s talented, easy to work with, according to those who work with him, hard-working and conscientious. But my guess is that if things don’t change soon, he’ll be out of the business in a year or so. I would hope that as newspapers are going through trying economic times right now, they don’t sacrifice their diversity. Some newspapers are cutting, adopting hiring freezes and even laying off people. Despite the pressures, it’s important for newspapers to recognize the importance of a diverse staff and of diverse coverage. Cindy George, city government reporter, Pensacola (Fla.) News Journal, and a former NABJ Student Representative
We have trouble attracting black entry-level people and have no pattern of African-Americans achieving the top ranks. I believe there is a connection. For the past year, we’ve had no photographers of color. Anyone who walks into a newsroom and stays must have some feeling of value and voice. Many black journalists I know come into situations -- especially as young journalists -- where they are the lone person or one of a few people of color in the room. Balancing newsroom politics, newsroom climate, newsroom diversity and inclusive coverage is difficult when one doesn’t make final decisions and doesn’t decide budgets in daily news meetings. Take a look around. There is little trouble recruiting white reporters, designers, photographers and editors. And check the Census Bureau numbers. Diane Hawkins, features copy editor, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; chairwoman, NABJ Awards Committee
A survey needs to be done that simply asks people of color in their workplace these questions: Is your office an ideal or healthy atmosphere for women and ethnic groups? Do you have a voice? Or, do you feel respected by your managers? Is diversity truly in place when it comes to management? (How many reporters and editors of color can name more than two or three decision-making people who look just like them in senior editor news meetings?) LaMont Jones, Fashion Editor and Teen Forum Coordinator, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and president, Pittsburgh Black Media Federation
It is beyond bad; it’s tragic. And the excuses just don’t wash. For example, the industry says blacks want to go to better-paying jobs, such as public relations or law. But the reality is people who love their work, no matter how low-paying, don’t jump ship the way black journalists do. Look at teachers and social workers. Probably very few minority journalists are leaving for longer green. Some may be responding to a different calling at a different stage in life, but many are sick of the glass ceilings, broken ladders and stolen opportunities. It looks to me like the industry in general doesn’t supplement black employees with other minorities; it replaces us with them. Perhaps that’s because nobody puts up a ruckus like black journalists, raises the questions that we do, demands the solutions like we do. So the industry continues the illusion of inclusion by hiring and retaining other journalists of color. It’s a shell game. Louise Reid Ritchie, Director, Black College Communication Association, Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, Fla.
A major problem I see is that the excellent journalists of color are being driven out of the field because the field seems to view them as only minority. I repeatedly have seen young minorities who have made stellar accomplishments who - when they try to get opportunities that they truly deserve - are viewed by the industry as pushy and arrogant. Meanwhile, white males who are very talented and who want to get ahead are viewed as people who are up and coming. Michael Rollins, Team Leader, The Oregonian (Portland, Ore.)
The one thing that ASNE can do to improve retention of African American journalists is to list annually with its overall numbers specifically what percentage of their non-white staff is in management. They need to go a step further and break out the numbers of senior editors. ASNE needs to show that its members welcome diversity in decision-making positions. The best way to send that message is to show that managers at newspapers reflect the diversity of their communities, not just overall staff. This is the most effective way of retaining African-Americans in journalism. Period.
Top | Back | 
