Women Journalists of Color: Present Without Power
Getting There...Staying There

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"I'm tired of seeing young white women 5 to 8 years younger than me, with less experience, getting promoted to senior producer and management jobs. I'm a talented and creative producer and journalist. However, I've come to realize that I'm not the kind of 'black girl' they want. I'm smart, highly qualified and have solid experience. Many newsroom managers and colleagues find all of that a threat."
39-year old African American television newswriter, Mid-Atlantic U.S.

The IWMF survey reveals that the challenges and concerns faced by women journalists of color can have a long term, detrimental effect on their energy and outlook. Though survey data show that many of them are fully committed and prepared to contribute to the industry, often against the odds and far beyond the expectations of some managers and coworkers, women journalists of color report that, too many times, their goals are stifled long before they have a chance to flourish.

The number of women of color who have paid their dues demonstrates this commitment to journalism and their determination to keep voices of color alive. The IWMF survey shows that 39 percent of the respondents have worked as journalists for 11 or more years, and many of those women are 20-year plus veterans. (28 percent have worked from 6 to 10 years.) These women are also highly educated; 27 percent have earned doctoral degrees, 16 percent have master's degrees, and 44 percent have bachelor's degrees.

Survey statistics show that these women's attempts to learn and operate according to the rules of America's newsrooms would probably mirror those of any other aspiring journalist. For example, 91 percent report that they exceed performance expectations, and 89 percent say they work hard and put in long hours. They also know the importance of making connections; 79 percent say they belong to professional organizations, and 63 percent say they frequently network.

As a rule, managers surveyed say women journalists of color have access to the same types of career advancement tools available to all reporters. They say they give them time off and support to attend conferences and workshops. They allow job swaps, and provide leadership development reviews, talent coaching, financial support for outside workshops and writing coaches.

Still, managers say they are hampered by limited funds and resources. One manager wrote, "Many (staffers) do not want to give up their free time to attend development opportunities. I have developed a system now where the company will split (50-50) the costs for off-site educational/development opportunities. If you're interested in bettering yourself, then you need to make a commitment to the process."

Journalist respondents also acknowledge that their news organizations make a credible effort to provide tools for professional development. Sixty-six percent say their organizations provide in-house workshops and seminars, and 56 percent say they were encouraged to attend outside workshops. Just over half said there is financial support for educational advancement.

However, it is not always easy to take advantage of these opportunities. Sixty-nine percent of the journalist respondents say they do not have time to attend workshops because of job pressures. Thirty-five percent say staff-sponsored workshops are offered at inconvenient times, 33 percent said they are not advertised or promoted efficiently, and 26 percent said most workshops are held off-site, making it difficult for them to attend.

Managers agreed. Sixty-six percent acknowledged that their journalists don't have time to attend workshops, and 34 percent said that workshops are held at inconvenient times. However, it appears that even with these obstacles, 67 percent of journalist respondents say they believe their advancement opportunities in the industry have improved over the last five years.

Although women journalists appear to have a positive perspective, 61 percent say they face barriers to professional advancement their white and male colleagues do not. Fifty-one percent also reported that discrimination in promotion has hampered their professional advancement. Observers may conclude women journalists of color are still adopting a "victim stance," refusing to acknowledge the many gains they have made because that might mean having to admit there is an even playing field for all journalists.

Ultimately, many women journalists of color say they believe they have given their best effort to an industry that simply doesn't quite know how to utilize their talents, or refuses to allow them to be as outspoken or proactive as their colleagues.

One survey respondent writes: "I no longer look forward to career advancement as a reporter or network correspondent, something I tried again and again in my late 20s and 30s. One looks to grow in one's profession, but if the institution doesn't give you the opportunities you need to satisfy your growth, then you have to look elsewhere."

Just what are the barriers to opportunities for women journalists of color in high-pressure environments where talent and hustle are thought to be incontrovertible tickets to success? These journalist respondents explain:

"Continued concentrations of power in white male hands on a daily basis and throughout the organization. These informal power groupings decide what the paper looks like each day, who gets the key assignments, how stories are played and who gets a 'hand up' in the organization. No matter how many times our newsroom is reorganized and the systems revamped, those informal power groupings seem to survive and thrive."

"Managers often feel 'uncomfortable' with us and do not include us in their circle or judge us unfairly as not being 'ready' for advancement."

"I find myself stuck in certain jobs so that my ethnic group might seem represented, but the opportunity to move beyond that position is not considered, at least to my knowledge, by my superiors."

Other journalist respondents say women of color are sometimes hampered because they refuse to assimilate into white male corporate culture. They say women of color are sometimes too modest and not aggressive enough about promoting their own work. They say they face daunting stereotypes about their abilities, and they say the perception of them as being merely affirmative action hires is virtually impossible to overcome.

Jacqui Nguyen is an assignment editor at a San Diego television station. At 27, she says her youthful appearance, petite stature and Asian heritage create some challenges for her very focused, strongly optimistic goal of being an on-camera reporter someday.

"I have to constantly be aware of cultural perceptions," she explains. "For example, in meetings, if I don't challenge information that is being given to me by an older editor, people think I'm not aggressive enough, or that I don't have an opinion. I get typecast as the 'typical modest Asian woman.' But I was raised to be very respectful of my elders, and if I don't challenge what they're saying, it may be because I value their opinion, not because I don't have one of my own."

But Nguyen believes that hard work-long hours on the assignment desk, going out on shoots with photographers, making and sending out her own video resumes-will help her reach her goal. "I'm responsible for making sure that I have the skills when the opportunity comes my way. However long it takes, I just have to be ready."

Often, many women journalists of color-indeed many people of color-conclude early on that they must be "twice as good" as their white counterparts in professional settings just to get their foot in the door. Some report the stress of working hard to keep up standards, and to forestall any negative expectations, can be debilitating.

Still, one manager's comments echoes the core of any perception problem that women journalists of color face whenever they voice their frustration over lack of advancement: "Some just believe they are entitled to better opportunities than the rest of the staff and they become disenchanted when they do not move fast enough." This attitude is not uncommon among managers and co-workers of women journalists of color. But that perspective devalues the years of effort many veterans have expended. Some say they are literally "exhausted" by trying to improve newsroom relations and perceptions. One woman wrote:

"After spending 15 years in journalism, I've found that no matter how many awards I win, and how productive I am, my talents will only be recognized to a certain extent. In addition, as I work harder, I get older and news organizations look to hire younger professionals. It's frustrating for black journalists looking to move up, because once they acquire the skills that mainstream managers say they need to have, then they are too old or are overqualified."

However, this view sharply contrasts with the views of some younger journalists of color, who have enjoyed enormous success in their relatively brief careers. Jemele Hill is the first woman to cover Michigan State University football and basketball for a Michigan newspaper. The 23-year-old African American reporter says she is fully aware of the "double whammy" she presents within the newsroom and in the locker room, but she has learned to accept those attitudes.

Though Hill is aware of constantly working against the perceptions of co-workers and interviewees, she says, "As an African American woman in sports, I think it works to my advantage. It also helps me be conscious of the responsibility of what I'm doing."

Hill expects to have a long, successful career in newspapers and magazines. "I just don't think there are any kind of limits to what I want to achieve. I definitely see white guys who are given things more easily than I have been, but that's just a part of the game. I know that I don't have to let that discourage me or keep me down, though," she says.

One of the more provocative survey results involves the role mentoring plays in career advancement for women journalists of color. In recent years, there has been increasing debate over the perceived responsibility of people of color to mentor those following in their path.

Women journalists of color are frequently asked to assume the task of mentor or role model. Obviously, the decision to reach out and assist others is an intensely personal one, but the IWMF survey revealed that women journalists of color have given a great deal of thought to this issue. Forty-seven percent of survey respondents say that not having a mentor has been a barrier to their professional advancement. Forty-four percent add that lack of role models of the same race/ethnic group has been a problem. In fact, not having a mentor ranked with discrimination in promotions and lack of access to high visibility assignments as the greatest obstacles faced by women of color.

Unfortunately, while 45 percent say they seek out influential mentors as a way to advance their career, only 9 percent say their organizations use mentoring programs as a way to retain and advance women journalists of color. Another interesting survey result shows that when both journalists and managers were asked about mentoring programs for women in general, the majority of them selected the category "Not Applicable." Apparently, the concept of formal support networks for women in newsrooms has been given little consideration as an advancement technique.

Perhaps women journalists of color need to acknowledge the crucial role that mentoring plays in their own advancement, and in the larger goal of retaining and increasing the numbers of women journalists of color. It may mean assuming another responsibility in an already crowded schedule, but survey results demonstrate a pressing need.

Overall, responses from both newsroom managers and journalists indicate significant dissatisfaction with the effectiveness of retention and promotion programs-in cases where such programs are even offered. After years of highlighting their efforts, news organizations clearly have not followed through and made the investments necessary to ensure that women journalists of color stay with their companies and are promoted into decision-making ranks.

Managers should heed survey results that show women journalists of color frequently leave their jobs because they experience obstacles to advancement. An even larger number of respondents, 76 percent, say former co-workers have left to pursue new opportunities and challenges. If newsroom managers took the time to determine what types of opportunities would make them stay, retention rates might rise.