Diversity efforts among nine prominent media publishers are stagnating or regressing, according to a recent survey.
Nine prominent publishers’ reports on workforce demographics reveal a mixed landscape in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts, with a significant portion of the industry showing stagnation or regression in staff diversity. The findings, compiled by Digiday, highlight that approximately one-third of these companies have failed to make any notable progress this year.
Condé Nast, Gannett and The Washington Post exhibited improved diversity in their staff compared to the previous year. In contrast, Business Insider, The Los Angeles Times and NPR experienced a decline in diversity metrics. The report indicated that the overall diversity at Hearst, The New York Times and Vox Media remained unchanged.
Richard Prince, a columnist for Journal-isms.com, commented on the findings, expressing hope that media companies will withstand pressures against DEI initiatives and actively engage communities that reflect diverse audiences.
A survey conducted by FT Strategies among over 450 news and media employees indicated that while more than half of the respondents acknowledged having diversity goals, these initiatives were viewed as the least important among commercial priorities. Many employees reported lacking the necessary resources to advance diversity initiatives effectively.
In examining the diversity trends across the nine publishers, Condé Nast’s workforce was reported to be 61% white in 2023, slightly down from the previous year. Meanwhile, Gannett’s employee base, now 63% white, marked a reduction from a more homogeneous workforce of 71% in 2023. Additionally, The Washington Post’s workforce decreased to 52% white, down 2 percentage points from 2023.
Conversely, the Business Insider workforce noted an increase in whiteness to 65%, while The Los Angeles Times reported 49% white employees, up from 42%. NPR also witnessed an increase, with 57% of its staff identified as white in November 2024.
The report noted an interesting trend in the editorial divisions of these companies, where the overall representation of diverse individuals improved for nearly all organisations. Condé Nast’s editorial workforce was reported to be 62% white, indicating progress, while NPR’s audience-facing journalists saw their proportion drop from 66% to 62%.
Analysing leadership demographics across eight publishers, it was revealed that three of them improved the diversity of their management levels. For example, Condé Nast’s senior leadership now stands at 75% white, a decrease of 3 percentage points.
The report also highlighted a concerning trend in gender representation within the workforce; four publishers saw a decrease in gender diversity for the first time since Digiday began tracking these figures. The overall percentage of female employees at Business Insider dropped to 59%, while Condé Nast, Gannett, and The Washington Post pointed to similar declines.
Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://digiday.com/media/publishers-workforce-diversity-reports-released-this-summer-show-steady-improvement-in-newsroom-diversity/ – Corroborates the improvement in newsroom diversity at Insider, The Washington Post, and other media companies, as well as the overall workforce diversity trends.
- https://digiday.com/media/publishers-newest-workforce-diversity-reports-reveal-mixed-results-in-efforts-to-diversify-newsrooms/ – Provides details on the mixed results in diversity efforts across various publishers, including Condé Nast, Gannett, and The Los Angeles Times.
- https://digiday.com/media/publishers-workforce-diversity-reports-released-this-summer-show-steady-improvement-in-newsroom-diversity/ – Details the specific diversity metrics for The Washington Post, including the decrease in white employees in the newsroom and editorial leadership.
- https://digiday.com/media/publishers-newest-workforce-diversity-reports-reveal-mixed-results-in-efforts-to-diversify-newsrooms/ – Reports on the changes in overall diversity at Gannett, Hearst, The New York Times, and Vox Media, highlighting both improvements and stagnation.
- https://digiday.com/media/publishers-workforce-diversity-reports-released-this-summer-show-steady-improvement-in-newsroom-diversity/ – Discusses the diversity trends in editorial divisions, including the improvements at Condé Nast and The Washington Post.
- https://digiday.com/media/publishers-newest-workforce-diversity-reports-reveal-mixed-results-in-efforts-to-diversify-newsrooms/ – Highlights the leadership demographics across several publishers, including the improvements at Condé Nast.
- https://digiday.com/media/publishers-workforce-diversity-reports-released-this-summer-show-steady-improvement-in-newsroom-diversity/ – Addresses the gender representation trends, noting declines in gender diversity at several publishers.
- https://voices.aaja.org/stories/philadelphia-2017/missed-deadline-the-delayed-promise-of-newsroom-diversity/ – Provides historical context and ongoing efforts towards diversity at The Los Angeles Times and other media outlets.
- https://digiday.com/media/publishers-newest-workforce-diversity-reports-reveal-mixed-results-in-efforts-to-diversify-newsrooms/ – Details the specific diversity metrics for NPR and The Los Angeles Times, including the increase in white employees.
- https://digiday.com/media/publishers-workforce-diversity-reports-released-this-summer-show-steady-improvement-in-newsroom-diversity/ – Mentions the challenges and efforts in maintaining workforce diversity, including the impact of new hires and leadership changes.
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