Women Journalists of Color: Present Without Power
No Turning Back

"Our communities and our issues need to be heard. We need to talk with one another. I always want to be a part of that dialogue."
42-year-old African American Manager, Southern Atlantic U.S.

Perhaps the survey's most optimistic note is that after articulately expressing the challenges and frustrations they face, women journalists of color want to stay closely involved with the media. Two-thirds of those surveyed say they see a future for themselves in the media. Only 8 percent say they do not, and 26 percent say they are undecided.

That indecision may be fueled by several factors. First, many women journalists of color, as with many professional women in general, are often forced to choose between their careers and their personal lives, especially when spouses and children, or the choice to start families, are involved.

Joyce Clark-Hicks, a 27-year old African American journalist from North Carolina, enjoys her job as a health and medical writer for the Features department. It's the kind of specialized beat few minorities have ever attained, and Clark-Hicks says that when she started, several colleagues even questioned why she had been given the position. Though she enjoys the beat, Clark-Hicks says the long hours and low pay don't fit in with her plans to have children in the next few years. She plans to gradually shift her career toward freelance writing, which would allow her to work from home and spend time with children.

One manager from the survey explains the view from her newsroom: "Women in general have a hard time in this business because we work such long hours. I think there's even more pressure on Latina women to meet certain family expectations. This is a major problem in our industry, and I don't see anyone taking it seriously."

In fact, many of the journalist respondents volunteered additional comments about their reasons for leaving journalism, citing family pressures and falling journalistic standards, as opposed to obstacles based on race. "It is becoming increasingly difficult to justify the long hours, particularly the time I sacrifice with my children," one woman wrote.

These concerns can make it very hard for the seasoned journalist to turn down lucrative offers in public relations, corporate communications or academia. They see little point in sticking with an environment where any hope for moving up the newsroom ladder seems dim at best. Yet among those who talk of leaving the business, the journalist respondents exhibit an impressive eagerness to enlighten others through their experiences. They want to work as teachers or journalism consultants, or stay involved in journalism through their extensive professional contacts.

One woman writes: "I would like to volunteer in some organization teaching young professionals the ropes. I left the media entirely one month ago after experiencing the frustration of the 'glass ceiling' in a northeastern news organization."

Still, another woman writes: "I don't know if I will stay in the news industry as a reporter because of the time constraints of balancing a profession and a private life, but I do think that if I leave the media aspect, I would still like to be involved as a public relations person or public information officer."

No matter where their careers may eventually lead them, women journalists of color report being determined to remain involved in journalism-and to ensure that there are enough people behind them who are ready to step through those opened doors and into the next millennium.