An open letter to NBC News management on diversity, equity and inclusion
Dear Cesar, Noah and Chris:
Like the rest of the nation, the journalism industry is going through a reckoning with race that has placed a much-needed spotlight on inequities at NBC News Digital. We have a serious deficit of Black reporters and editors in our newsrooms, and our coverage of the George Floyd protests not only made this glaring failure more apparent, but also spotlighted how it negatively affects our coverage and hinders our wider mission. We are in a crisis.
We’re proud of the work we do at NBC News, but that work is limited by a power structure that is overwhelmingly white and male. We are eager to work with you to change that template and to ensure that people of color and ethnic, racial and sexual minorities get an equal shot at getting hired, trained and promoted.
We believe newsrooms should reflect the communities they serve, and our newsroom does not reflect the same diversity of cultural backgrounds and experiences as the United States at large, and the major media market of New York City in particular. Both the NBC News audience and the NBC staff deserve more. Our organization cannot fully tell the story of this time – or of any time – unless it is diverse and inclusive at every level. NBC News has reported on the lack of diversity in academia, the tech industry, Hollywood, police departments and professional sports. It’s time to turn that same critical eye on ourselves.
Representation matters, not only in entry-level hires and on-screen talent, but also among managers, executives, human resource representatives, recruiters, standards representatives, freelancers and contributors. Hiring is only the foundation — a first step. Basic attempts at newsroom diversity, unaccompanied by structural policy changes, do not ensure equity and inclusion. We must create systems that increase retention: by offering equal pay for equal work, supporting career development and promotion, and listening to employees of color who speak up while protecting them from retaliation, both overt and covert.
It is crucial that we are included in this process. We do not expect a one-time fix but rather a commitment to changing the culture together. To address structural issues with regards to race at NBC News, we have created a guild diversity committee made up of staffers from each digital team. We are ready to partner with you in the daily work it will take to hold ourselves accountable.
While Cesar suggested several steps forward in his “Fifty Percent Challenge Initiative,” the plan leaves employees with serious questions about how NBC plans to address the lack of diversity in management and the pay gaps that exist today. The company cannot ignore the fact that past diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives have failed to foster an inclusive culture — a focus on statistics alone will not address the current company practices that perpetuate systemic racism. Furthermore, any company initiative must meaningfully address diversity of gender identity, sexual orientation, disability and socioeconomic status.
Below are 12 actionable solutions we recommend to address discrimination and inequality at NBC News Digital.
Conduct an annual diversity study and pay review of NBC News Digital teams. The study should be conducted by a mutually agreed-upon third party, and the results must be shared with NBC News Digital employees.
Address race and gender pay gaps immediately. Set aside a pool of funds each year, separate from merit increases, to address pay disparities as soon as they are identified.
Include diverse perspectives in the hiring process. To combat implicit bias, ensure each applicant who makes it to the interview stage is interviewed by a hiring team not dominated by one race or gender.
Stop asking job applicants to list their desired salary. This practice perpetuates existing pay disparities for Black and minority employees. Underpaid employees will not know what they are worth when they have been lowballed their entire careers.
Increase the diversity of every team. Some teams, such as Standards and HR, are significantly less diverse than others. An overarching goal of 50 percent women and people of color does not fundamentally change the roadblocks to equity and inclusive reporting if individual teams do not meet a similar measure. Ensure that each team is not dominated by one race. The next hire for each team must be a person of color.
Increase management diversity. Management at NBC News Digital is mostly white. Ensure at least 50 percent of applicants for management roles who make it to the interview process are from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds.
Promote Black journalists and other journalists of color to advance and lead teams at NBC News Digital. Many of us don’t see a way forward when our backgrounds are not adequately reflected in positions of power. Establish a succession plan for key senior leadership positions with a focus on preparing BIPOC, LGBTQIA and people with disabilities for those roles. In addition to senior level succession planning, new positions and opportunities should be developed to create career spaces into which low and mid-level editorial employees can grow.
Set a goal to match the demographics of New York City by 2025. Our newsroom should reflect the communities of the vibrant, diverse and multicultural city where the bulk of our organization is based. The company’s effort to triple the number of regional reporters should include at least one Indigenous journalist.
Engage a Black anti-racist educator to conduct recurrent bias training for all of NBC News Digital, starting with editors and managers. Many staffers say racism and favoritism are rampant in our workplace. If we are to be an effective news organization, we must be willing to honestly examine the ways bias in our work reflects and perpetuates racist systems.
Support professional development of Black journalists and other journalists of color. Create a clear and open application process for NBC News Digital employees to attend annual conventions of AAJA, NABJ, NAHJ, NLGJA and similar organizations.
Ban the use of NDAs. Unconditionally release any current or former employees currently bound by a nondisclosure agreement in cases of discrimination or harassment. Employees should be free to speak honestly about their experiences without fear of retribution.
Team up with us. Commit to meeting regularly with members of our diversity committee to ensure progress on these goals. Our first meeting should take place within the 100-day period outlined in the company’s plan.
Signed,
114 members of the NBC Digital NewsGuild