Journalists push conversation for inclusion

Diversity panel encourages newsrooms to receive equal pay, break through barriers

Vianney Morales Staff Reporter

The Society of Professional Journalists chapter, serving the greater Los Angeles area, held a panel March 28 discussing the importance of diverse leadership in the news industry.

USA Today Managing Editor Cristina Silva moderated the discussion.

The panelists were Deputy Managing Editor of the Washington Post Sharif Durhams, Axios Editor-in-Chief Sara Kehaulani Goo, Investigative Reporter for CBS Chicago Dorothy Tucker, Editor-in-Chief of El Paso Times Tim Archuleta and President of Telemundo Orlando Migdalia Figueora.

They focused on the importance of intentionally establishing diversity at all levels in the newsroom, especially in the top managing positions.

Silva spoke about a time when her ideas were shut down because her editor didn’t believe there was an audience for immigration news stories.

“I had an editor who would never let me write about immigrants,” she said. “She would tell me people didn’t care about Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or dreamers or immigration.”

Archuleta mentioned his earlycareer mentors recognized the importance of having a diverse newsroom.

“There was an awareness of the need to have more people of color in leadership roles,” he said.

Goo is an advocate for programs that aim to include those from underrepresented communities at the entry-level.

“I’m a big supporter of (diversity) programs,” she said. “They’re lifechanging and really important if done well and organized.”

Her first internship out of college was with the Wall Street Journal through a minority journalism convention.

“I haven’t really seen progress in this industry without intentionality,” Goo said.

Page programs are entry-level internships designed to familiarize participants with the industry.

Figueora said that entry-level page programs must systematically change in order for the news industry to have more inclusion and diversity, especially if salaries do not support the cost of living for interns from underprivileged backgrounds.

“One of my biggest pushes at the corporate level has been for these page programs, they have to change from the get-go,” she said. “We are only building certain opportunities for certain people with certain privileges.”

The conversation shifted to the panelists acknowledging barriers for people of color in management positions. They said that there is little support for people of color being promoted to leadership roles in the industry.

“Corporate leadership keeps you in the same position instead of giving you opportunities to go do bigger or better things,” Archuleta said.

The panelists agreed that the hiring process is inaccessible, especially to people of color.

Tucker took issue with the hiring process of management positions.

“At the top, I don’t see the commitment that has to be there if we are going to get people of color in those top managing positions,” she said.

The Chicago reporter described how she has personally witnessed the flawed hiring program.

“They call their friends (to fill these positions), they end up looking just like them,” Tucker said. “Maybe they call and ask 4 or 5 people of color they know and then they figure they did their job in looking for candidates.”

She reflected on her own experiences in diverse newsrooms that represent a wide range of voices.

“The issues they raise stand out,” Silvia stressed.-“They are representing voices that aren’t in those rooms otherwise. It does make a huge difference when we have more diversity points in those editor meetings.”