Shaya Tayefe Mohajer of the Columbia Journalism Review examines the recent push by the Wall Street Journal staff to make the newsroom more diverse.
Mohajer writes, “One might assume the Journal’s management would apply a similar level of rigor in ensuring diversity in its own prestigious newsroom. But the reporters named above are among nearly 200 in the newsroom who are still waiting for a substantive response to a March 28 letter they signed, demanding workplace equality. The letter offered a list of specific changes that would support a more diverse newsroom, a fairly compensated workforce, and protections for the careers of mothers and fathers. Management at the Journal has acknowledged it has work to do and promises change.
“But one newsroom insider tells CJR patience is growing thin, and conversations around equality arise in the newsroom almost daily, with fresh complaints surfacing weekly about issues such as the dip in women’s bylines in the A-section and the top editor’s guidance to avoid noting the Trump travel ban’s focus on majority-Muslim countries.
“‘This is something that is a very regular topic of conversation among editors and reporters—gender disparity, pay disparity, not feeling that our newsroom is as diverse as it needs to be in terms of race, LGBT employees, or [those with] diverse socioeconomic backgrounds,’ a reporter involved in the internal women’s advocacy group at Dow Jones, the Journal’s parent company, tells CJR. The reporter asked not to be named for fear of workplace repercussions.”
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