Women Journalists of Color: Present Without Power
Advice to Journalism Educators

"Bring in professional journalists as guest speakers and arrange field trips to newsrooms where they can see how decisions are made as to what is covered and who covers what. Alert them to the existence of minority journalist associations (AAJA, NABJ, NAHJ, NAJA) and other networking tools."

"Expose them to more than anchoring and reporting-management track."

"I wish someone would have told me about the internal politics in journalism and how to combat that. I also think educators need to make students understand that journalism, like any other profession, is a business that has expectations and problems that you have to be prepared to deal with. In school, journalism is considered a 'lofty calling,' and once we get into the profession, many journalists, especially women of color, become quickly disillusioned because we are unprepared for the business aspect and the lack of networking within internal organizations."

"More insight into the power structure of newsrooms, e.g. what types of beats are considered 'the best.' What a typical journalist's career path looks like-I had no clue. Stress the importance of seeking out mentors and taking advantage of networking and contacts you make as a student. Tell kids to stay in contact with and appreciate their professors and internship contacts who can be useful later on. Skills count most-get practical experience."

"To encourage students to find value in their own perspective, their own history. It's a perspective only they can have and in that lies a possible uniqueness that the viewer, listener/reader/potential employer may be seeking."

"Well, I don't think Asian kids get a lot of encouragement from their parents. I know my parents tried repeatedly to discourage me. So my mentors had to offer extra encouragement to make up for them. Bottom line: educators should consider outside influences (i.e. cultural values) when it comes to minority kids."

"Help build self-confidence and assertiveness."

"Make sure they tell students they can be more than reporters. Copy editing is a fast track to management."

"Address new media and the possibility it holds for women journalists of color. We seem to be making tracks there."

"Encourage them to find mentors early on who can help them understand the obstacles they will face in the newsroom."

"Teach them about organizational politics - how to get along in a newsroom."

"Prepare them for the reality check of being in a setting where you may be the only ethnic person in the newsroom."