Women Journalists of Color: Present Without Power
Introduction

While the doors have been pried open and major barriers lowered, women journalists of color still face substantial obstacles to full participation in the process of newsgathering and presentation. The rewards of listening to, and learning from their challenges, disappointments and strategies for success are great for the organization that is truly committed to diversity.

This is the message gleaned from the first ever survey of women journalists of color conducted by the International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF). The IWMF sought to give voice to a volatile current flowing through American newsrooms, one transmitted by women who often see few others who look like them, and who still find their voices and contributions discounted or downplayed.

The IWMF study revealed a significant perceptual gap between women journalists and their managers. The IWMF found that women of color and newsroom managers see issues related to hiring, retention and promotion through very different lenses.

Through the years, the experiences of women journalists of color have shared a common characteristic, one that might best be described as "succeeding in spite of..." obstacles, barriers, and outright exclusion. Indeed, these hurdles are not yet a thing of the past. In the early 1980s, during an interview, a prospective editor asked Vicki Torres how it would feel to "leave (her) roots behind" as she advanced in her career. Similarly, when Joaqlin Estus was hired as the first Native American reporter at a Midwestern public radio station in 1995, her colleagues chided her with remarks that she had only been hired because she was a minority.

Strength, perseverance and humor allowed these women to seek career success in the journalism industry. Torres told the prospective editor that as a fourth generation Mexican American, she could trace her roots back to "Leave it to Beaver" episodes. Estus challenged herself to work even harder to prove her colleagues wrong.

Though anecdotal reports suggest women journalists of color frequently confront these types of incidents, the IWMF study indicates that a majority of Native American, Hispanic, African American and Asian American women working in the media industry today do not feel they have had to face insurmountable obstacles based on the color of their skin or their ethnic heritage. They possess a keen awareness of just how far journalism has progressed-albeit often grudgingly-toward the goal of more diverse newsrooms.

But those same women wonder just how far progress and professional growth can continue when the goal of newsroom diversity seems to be stalled in the industry. Several prominent journalism organizations and media companies have expressed difficulties-and outright failure-in their attempts to achieve racial parity in newsrooms. From survey responses, the IWMF has learned that women journalists of color are more likely to report being denied the opportunity to help chart the course of American journalism, and their career progress is hampered by lingering racial stereotypes and subtle discrimination. This is coupled with the continued barriers to upper management that women of all racial backgrounds face, and that continue to be reflected by the sexist or racist content of some stories.

This study also shows that among some media managers, there is a strong awareness that diversity goals play a crucial role in the journalism industry's future. The IWMF believes it is important to stimulate a dialogue that can prevent a total retreat from these goals, while nurturing faster, more informed progress.

The perception gap revealed by the IWMF study between women journalists of color and managers is nothing new. In 1993, when the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) asked its members to describe their experiences, the same contrasting assessments were revealed. Journalists' responses highlighted their belief that they worked in "unfriendly and unsupportive" environments. While 67 percent of them believed their newsroom managers were not committed to retaining and promoting African American journalists, only 5 percent of managers agreed. Further, while 92 percent of managers said promotion standards were the same for blacks and non-blacks, only 28 percent of NABJ members agreed.

Most recently, in the spring of 1999, The Freedom Forum polled 450 journalists who were members of the four minority journalism organizations and who worked at newspapers. More than 55 percent said they expected to leave the newspaper business. While 59 percent cited burnout as a major factor, 77 percent believed that minority journalists must work harder than their white male counterparts to get ahead.