TheTuftsDaily Diversity&InclusionReport,2021–22
PreparedbytheDiversity&InclusionReportCommittee December2022
TableofContents
Introduction……………………………………………………………………………….………….. 2
SECTIONI:Diversity……………………………………………………………………………….. 4
Racialidentity 4 Genderidentity 6 Householdincome 7 Financialaid 7 Religiousbeliefs 8 Sexualorientation 8 Classyear 9 School 9 Areaofstudy 10 Politicalideology 10 Highschoolbackground 11 Geography 12 Leadershipexperience 13 Section 14
SECTIONII:Inclusion……………………………………………………………………………… 15
Bias 15 Sexism 15 Financialbarriers 16 Feelingsofinclusion 18 Diversityofopinion 19 Pastexperience 20 Coverageofsensitiveissues 21 Dailyofficevisitation 22 Friendsmade 23 Hoursworkedperweek 24 Accessibility 24
WrittenFeedback………………………………………………………….…………………... 25
Feelingcomfortable 25 Feelinguncomfortable 25 Topicsforfurthercoverage 25
SECTIONIII:Recommendations………………………………………………………………. 26
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Introduction
ThisDiversity&InclusionReportrepresentsTheTuftsDaily’sfirstcomprehensiveeffortto gatherinsightsintothecompositionofourstaffandtheirexperiencesinourorganization.The reportwascompiledbyagroupoftheDaily’scurrentandformerstudentleadersunderthe purviewofthepaper’sIntentionality&InclusivityCommittee.
TheDailyaimstogrowandimproveasanorganizationbothinternallyandinourcoverage.To thisend,theDiversity&InclusionReportCommittee,formedinthesummerof2021,has compiledthisreporttooffertransparencyintoournewsroom,identifyfutureavenueswithin whichweshouldworktobetterinformourcoverage,andassesshowtomakeourorganization moreinclusiveandrepresentativeofthecommunitiesweserve.
TheDaily’sreportingisguidedbyourcommitmenttoaccuracyandinclusivity.Thisinitiative reflectsabroadermissionamongmediaorganizationstoimprovetransparencyconcerning thedemographicmakeupoftheirnewsrooms.Otheruniversitynewspapershavepublished similarreports,whichwehavereferencedtoinformthewritingoftheDaily’ssurvey.These reportsincludethoseofthestudentpapersatPrinceton,Harvard,NorthwesternandStanford, amongothers.
ThedatainthisreportwascollectedinNovember2021viaastaffsurveyandthusrepresentsthe compositionoftheDaily’sstaffatthatpoint.Itdoesnotrepresentspringandfall2022 recruitmentcycles,noranystaffturnoverduringthattimeperiod.
Overall,oursurveyindicatesthattheDailyislessdiversethantheTuftscommunity,especially withregardtorace,ethnicityandhouseholdincome.Amajorityofsurveyrespondentsidentify aswhite,forexample,whichwasinconsistentatthetimewiththecompositionofthe undergraduatestudentbodyatTufts.Only20%ofrespondentssaidtheyreceivedfinancialaid, morethan20percentagepointslowerthanthesamestatisticfortheundergraduatestudent bodyasawhole.
SurveyresultsalsoraisedconcernsaboutinclusivityabouttheDaily.Forexample,17%of respondentsreportedexperiencinganincidentofbiaswhileworkingforthepaper.This indicatesasignificantneedtoreevaluateinternalpracticesandcreatemoreinclusive workspacesthatcombatdiscriminationandreduceharm.
Tocollectdata,wereleasedaQualtricssurveythatremainedopenforaboutthreeweeksin November2021.Wecirculatedthissurveyinstaffnewslettersandstaff-wideSlackchannelsand alsoaskedthatexecutiveboardmemberscompleteitduringameeting.Intotal,131membersof theDailyrespondedtoatleastonequestioninthesurvey.Atleast107membersrespondedto eachquestion.
Aboutone-thirdofrespondentshadservedatleastonesemesterontheDaily’sexecutiveor managingboards,whichtogethercompriseabout30peopleeachsemester.Whileour
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leadershipboardsturnovertwiceayear— allowingmemberstocyclethroughmastheadand electedpositionsratherquickly—weestimatethatmembersofDailyleadershipareslightly overrepresentedinthisreport.
TheDailystaffnumbersaround200,butwedonothaveorganization-widedataavailableand cannotdeterminewhetherthesampleofrespondentsisrepresentativeofthepaperasawhole. Additionally,asthissurveywasoptionalforstaffmembers,itispronetoself-selectionbias— thosewhochosetoparticipatemaynotaccuratelyrepresentthewholeoftheDaily’s demographics.Nevertheless,thisdataoffersusefulinsightsintoourorganization’spastand underscoreskeyissuestofocusoninthefuture.
AftersharingthedatawithDailystaffinMay2022,thecommitteecollectedfeedbackand reconvenedtogeneratealistofactionablestepsmanagementcantaketobuildinclusionatthe DailyandsupportastaffthatbetterrepresentsthediversityoftheTuftscommunity.Someof theserecommendationshavealreadybeenimplemented:thissemester,forinstance,sawthe formationofseveralstudentmediaaffinitygroups,sponsoredbytheDailyandopentoall membersoftheTuftscommunity,aswellasanefforttoimprovetheaccessibilityandinclusivity oforganization-wideevents.
Still,thisreportisaworkinprogress—astartingpointintendedtoinitiateconversation.Using thisreportasaframeworkforthefuture,weplantocontinuethisinitiativeonayearlybasisto trackorganizationalchangeovertime.
Inthemeantime,wecontinuetoseekfeedbackandcommunityinputtomaketangiblechanges thatpromoteamorediverseandinclusivenewsroom,andtoimproveourjournalisticpractices andholisticcoverageoftheTuftscommunity.
WeencourageyoutoprovidefeedbackandideasviathisanonymousGoogleform.The committeecanalsobereachedviaemailatdiversity@tuftsdaily.com
Diversity&InclusionReportCommittee
Ethan
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Steinberg,BrendanHartnett,PriyaPadhye,ColtonWolk,LizShelbred,OdessaGaines, AveryHanna,TyBlitstein,AbiVixama,ChloeCourtneyBohl
SECTIONI:Diversity
All graphs in this report were created with Datawrapper.
Note: Data pertaining to racial identity is presented in two ways. The chart above displays data in a manner comparable to that used in the Tufts Fact Book for internal reporting; individuals who identify with more than one race are counted within each category they select, such that the total percentages sum to more than 100. The graph below includes a separate category for those who identify with two or more races.
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Note: Data pertaining to racial identity is presented in two ways. The chart above displays data in a manner comparable to that used in the Tufts Fact Book for internal reporting; individuals who identify with more than one race are counted within each category they select, such that the total percentages sum to more than 100. The graph below includes a
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The breakdown of the sections with which respondents affiliate roughly aligns with the overall composition of the paper. Copy is the largest section, followed by News. Some of the other written sections, namely Arts, Features and Sports, were underrepresented in this sample.
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SECTIONII:Inclusion
Seventeen percent of respondents reported experiencing an incident of bias at the Daily. This indicates a significant need to reevaluate internal practices and create more inclusive workspaces that combat discrimination and reduce harm. We invite our staff’s input on how to address these issues.
Less than a quarter of all respondents “somewhat” or “strongly” agree, while over one-third of both male and non-male respondents “somewhat” or “strongly” disagree. More non-male than male respondents “somewhat agree” that male voices are listened to more often in the Daily’s decision making. About two-thirds of respondents are female.
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More than 6% of respondents indicated that there were “definitely” or “probably” financial barriers to their participation at the Daily, though most respondents indicated that finances did not impact their participation. This data, paired with the Daily’s underrepresentation of financial aid recipients compared to Tufts as a whole, suggests the need for more internal initiatives to remove financial barriers to participation at the Daily, whether through making the availability of stipends more widely known and accessible, increasing the amounts allocated via stipend, expanding awareness of work study eligibility for leadership or other measures.
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Respondents who received financial aid were more likely to indicate that there were “probably” or “definitely” financial barriers to participation than respondents who did not receive financial aid. Among those who receive aid, 60% indicated “probably yes” and 15% indicated “definitely yes.”
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A majority of respondents felt included and comfortable at the Daily. About 11% and 20%, respectively, indicated that they “neither agree nor disagree” or “somewhat disagree” with the statements pertaining to feeling comfortable and included. Most respondents felt comfortable participating in meetings and communicating concerns to executive editors and the Managing Board.
A third of responses pertaining to comfort with raising concerns to the Managing Board ranged from “neither agree nor disagree” to “strongly disagree.” This indicates that many respondents experienced a lower degree of interaction with the Managing Board at the time of the survey, or found it less accessible than more immediate levels of leadership.
Most respondents felt that leadership communicates well and felt that they could attain a leadership position if they wanted. Most respondents felt that their voices are represented in the paper and their contributions are valued, though about 10% indicated they “neither agree nor disagree” or disagree with the statements.
Respondents were divided on whether the Daily represents a wide range of viewpoints in the Opinion section. This reflects a potential need to encourage a diversity of views in our writing, as well as evaluate how to attract a wider range of community engagement via guest opinion submissions.
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52% of the Daily’s staff had prior experience in journalism (i.e., with a high school newspaper) and 48% had not before joining the paper.
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The variation in responses reflects a need to improve journalistic practices in covering the topics named. Two issues on which a larger share of respondents found coverage lacking are socioeconomic inequality and disability; 20% and 35%, respectively, indicated they disagreed that the Daily covers these issues comprehensively and sensitively.
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The likelihood that staff members have visited the office increases with the amount of time they’ve been at the paper; juniors and seniors were more likely to have been to the office than first-years and sophomores.
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Approximately three quarters of surveyed staff said they had made at least one friend through the Daily.
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Inclusion:WrittenFeedback
Inadditiontocollectingmultiple-choiceresponsespertainingtoquestionsaboutinclusionatthe Daily,thesurveyalsoprovidedaspaceforrespondentstoanonymouslyofferwrittenfeedback. Belowarecommonthemesthatemergedfromthisfeedback.
Prompt: DescribeatimewhenyoufeltcomfortableattheDaily.(57respondents)
● Sectionbondingsandorganization-widesocialeventshelpedfosterasenseof communityforsomerespondents.(11)
● Section meetings were frequentlynamedasanimportantformofcommunitybuildingas well.(17)
● Respondentsfeltcomfortableintheoffice.(14)
Prompt: DescribeatimewhenyoufeltuncomfortableattheDaily.(31respondents)
● CliquesandsocialeventscateringtowardupperclassmentaintedtheDailyexperiencefor some.(15)
● CertainrespondentsfeltthattheDaily’sofficewasanexclusiveenvironment.(7)
Prompt: Topicsonwhichrespondentswantedtoseegreatercoverageinthepaper.
● Politicallyconservativevoices(16respondents)
● BIPOCvoices(9)
● Diversesocioeconomicbackgrounds(5)
● Queervoices(4)
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SECTIONIII:Recommendations
Usingthisdataasaguide,theDiversity&InclusionReportCommittee—inconsultationwith theIntentionality&InclusivityCommittee,theManagingBoardandthewiderstaff—compiled alistofcommunity-andcoverage-relatedrecommendationsforDailystaff.Some recommendationshavealreadybeeninitiated.
* indicatesaninitiativethatiscurrentlyinprogress,havingbeenimplementedinthetimesinceNovember2021
Finding: TheTuftsDaily’sstaffisn’tasdiverseastheundergraduatestudentbody,andits coveragedoesnotreflectthefulldiversityofexperiencewithintheTuftscommunity.
1. Initiatealong-termfundraisingcampaign,incollaborationwiththeAlumniCouncil,to expandfinancialinclusivityattheDaily.*
a. Expandwork-studyto20hoursperweek,from10,andgrowtheexistingSupport Fundstipendprogram.
b. Useadditionalfundstosupportstudentmembershipinprofessionaljournalism affinitygroups,likeNABJ,NAHJandAAJA.
2. ServeTufts’hostcommunitiesbyexpandingcoverageoflocalevents,issuesand concerns.Addadrop-down“local”tabonthewebsitetofacilitateeasieraccesstoour reporting.*
3. Publishaspecialcommunity-focusedissue.*
4. Activelyandintentionallysolicitdiverseop-edsubmissionsthroughoutreachtostudent groups,print/socialmediaads,andflyersaroundcampus.Publiclyclarifytheopinion section’ssubmissionguidelines.*
5. Expandthebusinesssectiontosupportincreasingfundingforstipends,workstudyand othermember-centeredinitiatives.*
6. StrengthentheDaily’sSciencesectioncoverageandexpandoutreachtostudents affiliatedwithSTEMfieldsandtheSchoolofEngineering.*
7. Developaffinitygroupsforstudentshistoricallymarginalizedinthejournalismfield, supportedbytheDailyandincollaborationwithothercampuspublications.*
8. Collaboratewithacross-sectionofotherstudentpublicationsoncampus,likeOnyxand theObserver,tobuildacampusjournalismcommunity.
9. Trackthediversityofsourcinginallwrittencontentandencourageagreaterdiversityof sourcing.
10. ExpandcoverageofBlackandHispanicstudentgroupsoncampus.
a. Considerproducingspecialissuesthatfocusonunderrepresentedaffinitygroups tocoincidewithannualobservances(e.g.,BlackHistoryMonth,AAPIHeritage Month).
11. ConductperiodicaudiencesurveystoassesscommunityperceptionsofDailycoverage andworkproactivelytoaddressgapsthatarise.
12. Createanewsletterorsocialmediafeature,tobesharedonsomeregularcadence,that highlightsstoriesaboutunderrepresentedgroups.
13. Provideadvertisingdiscountsforstudentgroupsandcampuseventsthatsupport historicallyunderrepresentedstudents.
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Finding: TheDailyhashistoricallystruggledtomaintaininstitutionalmemory,astrong organization-widecommunityandarobusthumanresourcessystem.
1. FosteragreatersenseofDaily-widecommunitythroughthecreationofasocialchair position,morefrequentuseoftheoffice,increasedmentorshipopportunities,andthe modificationoftraditionsandsocialeventstoprioritizeinclusion.*
2. HosttrainingsessionswithTuftsActionforSexualAssaultPreventionandCounseling andMentalHealthServicefortheexecutiveandmanagingboards.Jointlycreateacode ofconduct.*
3. Encourageexecutiveeditorstosolicitmid-semesterfeedbackfromsectionmembers. Provideaspaceforstaffreflectiononthediversityofcoverageandsourcing,aswellas theirownexperienceattheDaily.*TheManagingBoardshouldencourageandfacilitate stafffeedback(includinganonymously)throughsurveys,officehoursand organization-widetownhalls.*
a. AppointaManagingBoardliaisonforeachsectionsothatmembershavea specificpersonwithwhomtosharequestionsandconcerns.
4. Prioritizebuildinginstitutionalmemorytoensurethelong-termhealthoftheDaily.*
a. Considerlengtheningcertainleadershiptermsfromasemestertoyear(e.g., businessdirector).
b. Planforleadershiptransitionsbyhavingexecutiveeditorsappointdeputies. c. Encourageoutgoingexecutiveeditorstokeepanopenlineofcommunication withtheirsuccessorsandtheincomingmanagingboard.
d. Encourageexecutiveeditorstowriteabestpracticesguideforoperatingtheir section.
e. Shareorganization-wideupdatesatsemesterlyall-stafftownhallmeetings.
5. Createaninternalstaffwebsitetoboosttransparency,improvecross-section communicationandserveasaneducationalresourcelibrary.*
6. Continuethissurveyonanannualbasis.*
a. Timesurveyreleasestrategicallytomaximizefirst-yearandseniorparticipation. b. Advertisesurveyandprovideampletimeforallstafftocompleteitinsection meetings.
c. Swiftlyandefficientlyanalyzeresultsandpubliclysharetheensuing recommendations.
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