Case Studies: How three nonprofit news outlets put DEI into practice

In conjunction with the Institute for Nonprofit News’ (INN) 2023 Index Report, this research* explores how nonprofit news outlets are building more diverse, equitable and inclusive places to work. This research is a part of INN’s recently released 2023 Index Report, which includes data from an annual survey of independent news organizations that are members of INN, with a deep dive into diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the nonprofit news sector. 

About the case studies

News Outlet A | News Outlet B | News Outlet C

These case studies were developed using the following data: (1) information from INN’s 2023 Index data, (2) a DEI organizational assessment survey — given to the organization after it was selected as a case study — that used theory and scales from Washington Race Equity & Justice Initiative’s (REJI) Organizational Assessment as well as resources from Race Forward and (3) focus groups with leadership and staff.  

The INN 2023 Index data was used to select the news outlets for these case studies as well as to generate the focus group questions. INN reached out to three nonprofit news outlets that illustrate the sector’s major challenges and opportunities related to DEI.    

The DEI organizational assessment was sent to all staff and leadership at the news outlet. This survey was completed after the focus group. The survey focused on the different ways DEI values shape the day-to-day operations and assessed the impact of those policies. 

We paid more attention to efforts focused on equity and inclusion by moving away from checkbox diversity and toward understanding and implementing DEI as a value system. A few of our questions included:

• How are news outlets building an inclusive workspace that prioritizes the retention of staff and leadership?
• How are news outlets investing in the professional development and growth of journalists of color on staff? 
• How are news leaders building windows for feedback and change (and how are they holding themselves accountable to their staff)? 
• How do news outlets understand and implement DEI plans, strategies and frameworks within their organization?

Key Findings

Through our conversations and surveys we were able to identify several strategic considerations that other news outlets could explore within their own organizations. These include: 

• Leadership should rely on those with expertise to lead DEI work (e.g. hiring consultants, working with external evaluators). It is important to also tie that work to tangible metrics and goals while also ensuring that any outside consultant used is a good fit for your organization. 
• Don’t be afraid to fail. DEI work is about growth, and acknowledging the areas of weakness within your organization is an important first step in this work.
• Lean into “radical transparency.”  Radical transparency is pre-emptive — it provides staff across your organization with information whether or not it may impact them. This reinforces the need to center DEI values in business operations to ensure that everyone from the top executives to the newest junior staff member has the same understanding of your organization’s initiatives and goals.
• Don’t rely on traditional structures and methods to lead a culturally diverse team. Acknowledge the barriers existing structures may create for your organization.

These findings help provide an important first step in understanding how news outlets currently understand and practice DEI while also providing context on the challenges that news outlets face in engaging with this work.

News Outlet A

By Gaby Martinez-Stevenson

About News Outlet A

News Outlet A is a nonprofit news organization based in the Northeast. They have four leadership team members and 17 staff members. Seventy-one percent of their news outlet identifies as white, and 52% are women.  

Methodology

This case study was developed using the following: (1) information from INN’s 2023 Index data, (2) a DEI organizational assessment survey — given to the organization after it was selected as a case study — that used theory and scales from Washington Race Equity & Justice Initiative’s (REJI) Organizational Assessment as well as resources from Race Forward and (3) focus groups with leadership and staff.  

The INN 2023 Index data was used to select the news outlets for these case studies as well as the focus group questions.   

The DEI organizational assessment was sent to all staff and leadership at the news outlet. This survey was completed after the focus group. The survey focused on the different ways DEI values shape day-to-day operations and assessed the impact of those policies. 

Study Participants

We held two focus groups in May 2023, one for leadership and the second for staff. Each focus group lasted around 1.5 hours. One hundred percent of leadership and 94% of staff members participated in the focus groups. The DEI organizational assessment survey had a 62% response rate. 

Introduction

These case studies were developed as a means to understand how news outlets navigate and use diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) values within their organization. The goal is to move beyond survey data to establish a baseline understanding — through lessons learned — of a more intentional approach to DEI. 

The following summarizes News Outlet A’s experience with DEI, specifically in relation to internal and external community building and recruitment.

Defining and Setting Goals Around Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

DEI work often starts with defining what the acronym means for the organization. Both leadership and staff at News Outlet A generally agreed that the concept of diversity was easier to work toward; whereas, equity and inclusion are goals that the industry as a whole struggles with achieving. 

It’s about really … trying to understand and embrace and operationalize perspectives other than my own, that have been suppressed, both consciously by individuals and either consciously or less consciously by systems and trying to be intentional about … achieving equitable opportunity and … authentic belonging for everybody.

Leadership Team Member

This observation, which was acknowledged across the organization, reflects current DEI research that there is a need to move beyond diversity and focus on the more structural goals reflected in equity and inclusion initiatives. This means, in part, setting DEI goals and then benchmarking those goals while gathering input about these metrics across the organization. Others echoed this sentiment throughout the focus group and noted the need to codify policies so that everyone has the same understanding of the news outlet’s approach to DEI. This was also articulated in the open-ended responses to the DEI assessment survey where 54% of the respondents indicated they would like to see more actionable items tied to explicit guidelines and DEI policies.  

For News Outlet A, developing DEI policies and metrics is still a work in progress. The organization found that it needed to hire a consultant to develop DEI policies and strategies to ensure that staff and leadership followed through. They believe that if staff have a say in internal policies, they will be more likely to follow them. Thus, to increase transparency and give more power to their staff, the leadership team is in the process of creating a DEI committee that would discuss measurable goals. 

While more than half of respondents say there is still a need to tie their DEI work to more tangible goals, 92% believe News Outlet A is committed to DEI (See Fig A) and 83% believe that leadership participates in and supports conversations about DEI internally, which was further reflected in the staff focus group.

Strategic Considerations: Developing a DEI System

???? Create a DEI policy and make sharing and discussing this policy a part of your office culture.

???? Tie DEI goals/policies to measurable metrics, including internal staff and external audience goals and inclusive guidelines for reporting. Discuss these metrics across your organization.

Initial Successes

Across both leadership and staff, News Outlet A shared examples of initial successes for various DEI practices, including internal and external community building and recruitment.

Internal Community Building

Mentorship

In 2020, News Outlet A established an internal mentorship system, which was developed by leadership after conversations with staff. Those conversations surfaced a need to diversify the leadership and editing team — which became a priority and a goal that was met — so that it reflected the diversity of the staff. To ensure the mentorship program succeeded, News Outlet A did not approach it as a top-down initiative but rather created a more informal process that emphasized the individual needs of each journalist.  

The mentorship program evolved over time:

1. It existed prior to the pandemic, but due to a high number of hires made during the pandemic, they knew they had to develop a more robust mentorship process since the staff itself has grown and became more diverse. This included hiring coordinators for the program and holding a weekly mentoring program for staff. 
2. In 2021, through conversations with staff, leadership found there was a particular concern about the lack of racial and ethnic diversity at the leadership level. At that time, all of the leadership team or editing team was white.
3. It became clear that the organization needed to implement more formal mentorship opportunities so that young talent could be coached to succeed in the positions for which they were hired. 
4. In 2022, the leadership team launched a more robust mentorship program that allows new hires to have a say in who their mentors are. Mentors and mentees are given the space to determine how to best approach the relationship.  
5. This approach has helped diversify and retain the editing and leadership team. The news outlet doesn’t attribute all of its success to the mentorship program but does see it as one of many reasons some on staff feel more supported in their role and more comfortable proposing story and project ideas.  

According to a leadership team member, each staff member is assigned a mentor. This process is informal and happens within a few weeks of employment. To date, no one has declined to be a mentor; however, News Outlet A allows each mentor to structure their time with their mentee in the way that works best for them. This also allows mentees to match with mentors that reflect their working style, which facilitates more organic relationships and helps establish trust across the organization. 

Everyone is very open to hearing stories and what you’re working on. … Most of the staffers, especially the younger members, are very open, if you need anything. … [They’ll say], ‘Hey, did you hear this story idea? Do you want to talk through it?’ And I think that helps develop that trust, because I’ve worked in other news outlets where the younger staff members are like the children in the news outlet and no one is working through those ideas. I think that helps develop trust when you see your co-workers … believe in your work, and they’re encouraging you as well.

Staff Team Member

Studies have shown the importance of mentorship and the positive impact that it has on an employee’s career.* Most staff members at News Outlet A shared positive experiences with tangible results as a result of the mentorship program.  

A staff member also noted the powerful effects of having an assigned mentor with dedicated time. “They already have someone kind of built in that they can turn to and they don’t have to be wondering if this person is going to have time for me,” this staff member added.  

Strategic Considerations: Internal Community Building

???? Create mentorship opportunities for your staff and leadership. These can be internal or external mentors, depending on the goals.

???? Focus on internal trust strategies, which include transparency, support networks and communication.

External Community Building

In addition to the importance of internal community building, News Outlet A also emphasized the need to simultaneously build trust with their external communities.  

Only 31% of survey respondents believe that their news outlet reflects their intended audience in terms of racial and ethnic composition. Yet, the majority of respondents (62%) state that their organization is currently working on ensuring that their audience is reflective of the communities they serve (see Fig B) and is implementing various strategies to diversify the audience. These strategies include: diversifying news outlet staff, thinking more broadly about social media (i.e. experimenting with different platforms), working with community leaders, holding community town halls, implementing community surveys, developing targeted newsletters and tracking sources. 

Source Tracking 

An important initiative identified by leadership was the development of a source tracker. However, in their initial implementation of this new tool they realized that they were developing the database without a real company-wide understanding as to why they were doing this. Once leadership identified this issue, rather than abandon the project, they regrouped and determined that they needed to expand their leadership team and hire someone that had more expertise with DEI goals and initiatives. A leadership team member noted, “We do actually have someone now leading an effort to kick us into gear and get us to continue filling that out, which I need to do. So that it can be analyzed, so that it can be presented to the board and so that we will be holding ourselves accountable for this data.” 

This example highlights not only the importance of developing strategies for community building but also emphasizes the need to establish clear goals around new initiatives. While developing the source tracker was a good first step, without a clear policy or understanding of how the data will be used, staff may not prioritize the work. 

Listening Sessions with the Community 

News Outlet A overwhelmingly acknowledged the need to build trust with its audience and that one of the ways to build trust is to listen to the communities they serve. Sixty-nine percent of survey respondents were not sure whether or not they thought that their news outlet reflected the audience it intended to serve, however 62% of respondents also believed that their newsroom was currently working to ensure that their news outlet is reflective of the community it serves. A leadership team member noted, “I think external trust in particular in communities of color or from low income backgrounds, when we go out and have these …  community conversations or listening sessions … [we make sure] something that was mentioned inside of the listening session is translated back into the reporting to some degree.” For example, the organization had  a conversation with a focus group at a Black church in their community, which helped illustrate that issues like water safety were a priority for them. 

In another example, a staff member described efforts to get information to children that may have experienced eviction. This staffer worked with an artist to create an educational coloring book that explains the eviction process and shares stories from children in the community. News Outlet A has plans to partner with a local library to distribute the information.  

I think it is the respect in the reporting that we put out. … It is listening to what the communities are telling us and showing that we’re listening by producing content that says that we’re listening, that reflects the conversations that we have been having.

Staff Team Member

Strategic Considerations: External Community Building

???? Ensure that you are building internal trust through joining existing conversations and spaces in your community.

???? Tie activities to measurable outcomes. Think about the community impact and the reach you want your stories to have. Develop metrics that will allow your news outlet to determine if your current activities are helping you reach your goals.

???? Routinely devote team meeting time to discuss your metrics and whether goals are being reached. This will allow you to quickly identify and pivot from strategies that are not working.

???? Ensure that your news stories are reflective of community voices.

Recruitment

News Outlet A set very explicit goals around recruiting, and it was reflected in their staff. A staff member noted, “This is one of the most diverse news outlets I’ve ever been in —and not only in terms of ethnicity. … The good thing that I’ve seen in the time that I’ve been here … [is that] they’re actually trying to make a difference and look at the representation within the content and the sourcing …  which not a lot of news outlets do.” Leadership explained that on the staff side, they had historically been relatively diverse; however, they realized that they needed that diversity to also be reflected in their leadership team. With that intentionality, they expanded the leadership team to align with their DEI goals. One leadership team member noted that these efforts started prior to the pandemic, but the organization struggled to diversify the leadership team at first.  

In an effort to fix this, a leadership team member devoted their time to developing their network and building trust within the journalist community. This type of work included visiting job fairs, college campuses, and developing relationships with professional associations — all initiatives that take time to show results. The outlet is also developing policies aimed at helping retention. This includes 401K matches, half-day Fridays, mental health days, salary equity and other measures. 

Other staff members noted that recruitment with diversity as a goal seemed to be helping with  diversifying the types of news stories the outlet has been publishing because often journalists from different backgrounds are the ones that provide fresh insight for how to approach stories. There also needs to be space for diversity of opinion within the newsroom. A leadership team member reflected, “It’s been a real journey for us as an organization. … It’s brought a diversity of voices and opinions into the workplace that have helped us to think differently about work and to talk differently about these issues and engage in conversations that we might not have engaged in before.”

Despite achieving some recruiting success, News Outlet A acknowledged that it will continue to be challenging. It’s “just a continual work in progress that has to happen all the time … versus this is something that I’m going to fix, and I’m going to fix it once and for all, and then we’re done and I get to move on,” said one leadership team member  

Lessons Learned

Despite achieving some success in various areas of diversity, the overall consensus among both leadership and staff was that there was still work to be done. This does not diminish the accomplishments of News Outlet A, but rather reinforces the need to continuously evaluate internal structures, reflect on progress and grow from mistakes — while remembering to celebrate the small wins along the way. Across the organization, it was noted that News Outlet A is willing to take risks and explore different initiatives.  

Tie DEI Activities to Metrics and Streamline the Process

While their source tracker has been an achievement, it also provided a learning opportunity (as noted above) and resulted in realizing there is a need to tie metrics and benchmarks to the database. Another lesson was the need to streamline the work involved in updating the source tracker since staff often felt that it was a big lift, especially in conjunction with the other initiatives that were being piloted. News Outlet A is still working through both of these challenges, and leadership has started to engage in one-on-one discussions with staff members to learn what the impediments have been. 

Rely on Those with Expertise 

Another person noted that a few DEI initiatives didn’t work at first but rather than abandon them (for example, the source tracker), the organization reflected and realized that the wrong person was leading them, so they re-assessed how to approach these strategies and are continuing to move forward. News Outlet A also launched a Community Editorial Board, which led to valuable engagement with community organizations. But, News Outlet A found that it also needed to develop strategies for sustained engagement. Therefore, in the second year of the project, the news outlet has been relying on the expertise of their team to guide the work of making the Community Editorial Board more sustainable. As one leadership team member stated, “There were kind of two objectives to the community editorial board. One … is to engage more voices and strengthen the quality of our opinion section. The second was really for the community editorial board to be the eyes and the ears of the news outlet to communities. And I don’t think we did that.” 

Embrace Failure

Throughout the conversations with leadership and staff, it was clear that there was trust amongst both groups and that has allowed them to experiment, despite feeling at times that the organization tends to default to traditional strategies. There is an understanding that progress is not linear and failure is part of process. A news outlet leader explained, “I would also describe it as willing to engage in some trial and error to sort of see what sticks, and not in a haphazard way, but in a let’s try the thing that has some proven success in other places and apply [it] here to see if we can replicate that success.”

Lean into “Radical Transparency” 

Both leadership and staff expressed the need for transparency. One leadership team member described their approach as radical transparency: “Transparency would be the things that are ‘need-to-know. … But radical transparency is a pre-emptive. … [It] may impact you or may not impact you, but here is information that would be helpful to know.” The realization that their approach to transparency needs to expand reflects the findings from the survey, which suggests that in general there are different understandings of the internal strategies and operations related to DEI at News Outlet A. This reinforces the need to center DEI values in business operations to ensure that everyone from the top executives to the newest junior staff member has the same understanding of your organization’s initiatives and goals.

Strategic Considerations: Reflect on Lessons Learned

???? Don’t be afraid of failure. View missteps as opportunities for growth and understanding.

???? Ensure that policies are standardized and understood across your organization even if your office is a supportive, safe space — this is especially important as your organization grows.

???? Don’t try to do everything at once. Because News Outlet A tried multiple strategies at once — tracking sources, community outreach, implementing new hiring practices — it didn’t surprise some members of leadership that some of their initiatives stalled. It can be hard to tackle multiple changes all at the same time.

* The more you can get the better: mentoring constellations and intrinsic career successI J Hetty van Emmerik.Career Development International; Bradford Vol. 9, Iss. 6/7, (2004): 578-594. DOI:10.1108/13620430410559160

News Outlet B

By Gaby Martinez-Stevenson

About News Outlet B

News Outlet B is a nonprofit news organization based in the Northeast. They have five leadership team members and eight staff members. Thirty-one percent of the organization identifies as White, and 54% are women.  

Methodology

This case study was developed using the following: (1) information from INN’s 2023 Index data, (2) a DEI organizational assessment survey — given to the organization after it was selected as a case study — that used theory and scales from Washington Race Equity & Justice Initiative’s (REJI) Organizational Assessment as well as resources from Race Forward and (3) focus groups with leadership and staff.  

The INN 2023 Index data was used to select the news outlets for these case studies as well as to help form the focus group questions.   

The DEI organizational assessment was sent to all staff and leadership at the news outlet. This survey was completed after the focus group. The survey focused on the different ways DEI values shape day-to-day operations and assessed the impact of those policies. 

Study Participants

We held two focus groups in May 2023, one for leadership and the second for staff.  Each focus group lasted about 1.5 hours. Eighty percent of leadership and 100% of staff members participated in the focus groups. The organizational assessment survey had a 100% response rate. 

Introduction

These case studies were developed as a means to understand how news outlets navigate and use diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) values within their organization. The goal is to move beyond survey data to establish a baseline understanding — through lessons learned — of a more intentional approach to DEI. 

The following summarizes News Outlet B’s experience with DEI — specifically in relation to community building and recruitment. News Outlet B provided a unique perspective because DEI values are key to their day-to-day operations, and the organization is working to understand how to scale while still maintaining the DEI structures that they have created. 

Defining and Setting Goals Around Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

News Outlet B explained their approach to news stories relied on the belief that journalism at its core is diversity work. While this has shaped their policies, they also explored the need to hire outside experts to help them build the necessary processes and tools to scale with their value system. The following highlights the key learnings experienced by News Outlet B. 

Moving Beyond Checkbox Diversity

News Outlet B has acknowledged the need to move beyond checking boxes and is in the process of trying to determine how to scale their organization while still maintaining their DEI values. According to their leadership team, much of their DEI work is reflecting on the communities they serve, expanding the diversity of their staff and being intentional about how their work is approached. They stated a need to move beyond traditional news outlet structures and develop a system that allows them to not only serve their communities but also ensure a safe environment for their employees — something that they think can only happen if it is built into their decision making processes. 

What we are having to confront is two giant conglomerate complexes like journalism and nonprofit work, which both have their own ways of making people who are marginalized feel: less than, disempowered, othered, like they don’t belong, like they’re exceptional for being here, etc. When I think of DEI, it’s trying to come up with a rubric to help eliminate or combat that sentiment, and to instead … allow people to have the power and take advantage of the power that they have to feel supported, to feel sustained, to feel relaxed and comfortable in their work environment and like they can be themselves.

Leadership Team Member

This sentiment was reflected among the staff who felt strongly that their work as journalists and DEI values should be intertwined. The organizational survey data reinforced this. While there didn’t seem to be a clear understanding across the organization if the outlet offered or engaged in more traditional DEI activities such as trainings, a majority believed their organization is aligned with DEI values. For example, 70% of respondents said that the outlet has implemented or firmly established mechanisms to address issues raised regarding racial or other equity-related barriers.  Seventy-seven percent believed that their leadership reflects the diversity of their staff. And, 85% believed that their news outlet has policies and practices that prioritize their communities and ensure that their reporting does not harm them. 

Identifying and Working Toward Formal Metrics and Goals

While News Outlet B’s approach to DEI does move beyond checkbox diversity, both leadership and staff acknowledged that there were still areas that could be improved as well as a need to establish more formal mechanisms within their organization. For example, both staff and leadership remarked that they felt safe bringing up difficult topics like salary discrepancies or mental health needs. But leadership also acknowledged that these situations are often dealt with a “gut check,” which hasn’t been a problem because they are a small group, but as they scale, they need to implement more established policies and processes to ensure that their DEI values grow with them.  

Leadership explained that they are working to:

1. Implement clear goals around the makeup of their board as they expand it while also establishing a Racial Equity Committee within the board itself.  
2. Engage in activities such as staff retreats to understand the needs and concerns of employees. 
3. Hire content area contractors to help them build internal resources, noting that, “DEI is … an area of expertise and a practice. So we need to work with someone with genuine expertise and knowledge of what works and what doesn’t.”
4. Acknowledge that the human resources field has been historically racist, which means needing to find HR professionals that align with the company’s ethos. 

It is also important to note leadership acknowledged that simply having these resources is not enough. There needs to be constant engagement with and review of these policies to ensure that there is a consistent understanding across the outlet. One leadership team member stated that they did not believe most of their staff could explain the core tenets in the DEI section in the employee manual because there was no current expectation to routinely review or discuss it and that this was an area they needed to work on. (According to their survey data, 69% of the news outlet was aware of a specific DEI policy or mission statement.)

The content that we’re producing on the site is really reflective of the communities … [but] I worry that … we’re resting on our laurels a little bit, because I think it’s really easy to lose that over a few hires … And then all of a sudden, the organization is very different. So I feel it’s important for us to maybe be, ‘Okay, how do we get here? And how do we make sure that we stay this way, as we grow?’

Leadership Team Member

Strategic Considerations

???? Embed DEI values into the structure of your organization.

???? Ensure that as your organization grows your value system grows with you.

???? Move beyond individual responses to employee needs and establish standardized policies.

???? Rely on experts. By acknowledging that DEI work is a devoted field of practice, News Outlet B understands the need to rely on the guidance of experts when developing policies and procedures.

???? A key success identified by both staff and leadership was the diversity across the organization and how it’s reflective of the communities they serve. Through their lived experiences, reporters are better able to connect with community members and gain trust. 

Initial successes

Both leadership and staff of News Outlet B shared examples of initial successes for various DEI practices, including community building and recruitment.

Ensuring Diversity Across Leadership and Staff

News Outlet B prides itself on the diversity of its staff and content. This diversity, they believe, has helped them build internal trust, which is an important component of DEI values. Staff members overwhelmingly agreed that the commitment to diversity at both the leadership and staff level was important to them and was a main reason that they joined the organization. Seventy-seven percent believe that their news outlet takes steps to reduce racial inequities internally and 84% believe their news outlet dedicates the resources necessary for addressing DEI disparities and achieving equity. Moreover, one staff member reflected on his job search stating, “I grew up in a totally 100% Black country. I remember before coming to the United States, it was something of a concern to me, because I used to watch police violence, the Black Lives Matter movement, and we listen[ed] to podcasts about risks in the United States. So when it came to choosing the news organization … I insisted that diversity was part of it. … We have a clear understanding of the people we’re covering, because we’re covering people similar to us.” This underscores the connection between having a positive internal community within your organization and your ability to connect and engage with the external community.  

Approaching External and Internal Community Simultaneously 

News Outlet B emphasized the importance — across leadership and staff — of the need to reflect the diversity of the communities they report on, especially because of the topics it covers. Many of the journalists that work at News Outlet B come from the communities they are covering, which means that the internal and external communities are closely aligned, the lines somewhat blurred. This allows the organization to understand the different needs across different audiences, which helps with story selection. This is an important distinction because often internal and external communities are approached as two separate entities. With News Outlet B, they are considered one in the same. 

To understand the different communities it needs to serve, News Outlet B engaged in an audience research project. This research relied on census data to identify the different communities and in-depth interviews with people from each identified audience. Through this research, they were able to determine the various needs across the different communities and acknowledge that the way an audience engages with news stories can vary. This has helped News Outlet B engage more authentically with its audiences and led to the development of resources for specific communities. For example, one subset of their audience relied heavily on WhatsApp for community news. Rather than trying to force the audience to consume their information on a different platform, News Outlet B began growing its community on WhatsApp and now has more than 5,000 active participants. They were able to grow through word of mouth as well as the trust building that the reporters have engaged in with their audience. One staff member described this process as a constantly flowing circle where their audience is able to ask questions and provide feedback on the news and resources provided — a dynamic that allows News Outlet B to pivot if something isn’t working. 

“Don’t Hire Mates”

To adhere to their established value system, News Outlet B has a very specific way in which they approach recruiting. As one team leader acknowledged, “There’s a big issue in journalism, where people will just hire their friends … but we are committed to doing really broad open searches and have been really thoughtful about it.” Their approach to recruiting includes:

1. Creating a scorecard for each potential position to determine the organization’s needs and the idea of what a successful candidate looks like.
2. Building a job description based on the scorecard.
3. Creating a standardized document to evaluate each candidate. The document ensures that personal biases are less likely to impact a decision about a candidate.
4. Compensating applicants for skills tests. 

According to leadership, this approach is the reason that they have been able to build and maintain a diverse team while adhering to the ethos of the organization. A leadership team member emphasized that they look beyond traditional measures of success — like having internships on your resume or an extensive portfolio of clips — in their assessment of candidates. News Outlet B instead looks at the lived experiences of candidates, their potential for learning and enthusiasm, and experience that is adjacent to journalism that would help the prospective employee engage with the audience in meaningful ways. 

Strategic Considerations

???? Be intentional in hiring across leadership and staff — ensure that diversity exists across positions.

???? Approach internal and external community as one in the same — apply the same values and strategies to both.

???? Rely on research and your audience to determine what stories are important to your community.

???? Seek out feedback from your audience and use that feedback to grow your beats.

???? Be intentional and consistent in your hiring practices — avoid hiring friends.

Lessons learned

Despite the progress News Outlet B has made in growing the understanding and application of DEI values, there was acknowledgement that there was still room for growth — especially as they start to scale. Through their experiences growing their organization around DEI values, they learned the following lessons. 

Acknowledge the Barriers Existing Structures May Create for Your Organization

News Outlet B emphasized their success in maintaining their value system and approaching the work the way they do is not something that can be easily replicated across the industry. One staff member believed that they had been successful because of their small size and wasn’t sure that the same system would be possible in a larger organization. Another staff member added that legacy media specifically would struggle in replicating this model due to the problematic history that exists in that space:  Building something from the ground up leaves more room for progressive frameworks versus having to reform a century-old system. Therefore, it is important to understand the existing dynamics and structures of your organization before implementing a DEI framework.  

Don’t Rely on Traditional Structures and Methods to Lead a Culturally Diverse Team

An important piece of navigating a culturally diverse team is understanding that the strategies that work for a traditionally White team with similar college experiences will not work with a diverse team. A manager of a diverse team needs to be aware of the cultural competency of their employees, differences in work styles and the traditional framings that may make journalists feel excluded within the organization. This requires flexibility, being open to learning about different work approaches and providing each team member with a management style that makes them successful.  

Tie DEI Activities to Metrics and Outcome Goals

While News Outlet B has made great progress in ensuring that it adheres to a DEI value system both internally and externally, it also acknowledges the need to attach their activities to more concrete metrics. There remains a need for continual evaluation — a critical piece to ensure that your activities are having the impact you intend them to have. This includes establishing an internal review system where employees across the organization can participate in performance reviews, implementing source trackers and tracking the reach of stories. This also involves regularly reviewing the employee handbook to ensure that the entire group has a consistent understanding of the values and policies of the organization. 

News Outlet C

By Gaby Martinez-Stevenson

About News Outlet C

News Outlet C is a single-issue, nonprofit news organization covering communities across the United States. They have seven leadership team members and 18 staff members. Sixty-four percent of the news outlet identifies as white, and 44% are women.  

Methodology

This case study was developed using the following: (1)  information from INN’s 2023 Index data, (2) a DEI organizational assessment survey — given to the organization after it was selected as a case study — that used theory and scales from Washington Race Equity & Justice Initiative’s (REJI) Organizational Assessment as well as resources from Race Forward and (3) focus groups with leadership and staff.  

The INN 2023 Index data was used to select the news outlets for these case studies as well as the focus group questions.   

The DEI organizational assessment was sent to all staff and leadership at the news outlet. This survey was completed after the focus group. The survey focused on the different ways DEI values shape day-to-day operations and assessed the impact of those policies. 

Study Participants

We held two focus groups in May and June 2023, one for leadership and the second for news outlet staff. Each focus group lasted about 1.5 hours. The entire leadership team and 61% of staff members participated in the focus groups. The organizational assessment survey had a 64% response rate. 

Introduction

These case studies were developed as a means to understand how news outlets navigate and use diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) values within their organization. The goal is to move beyond survey data to  establishing a baseline of understanding — through lessons learned — around a more intentional approach to DEI. 

The following summarizes News Outlet C’s experience with DEI, specifically in relation to the lessons learned around their DEI approach. 

Defining and Setting Goals Around Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

One of the purposes of these case studies is to understand how different organizations define diversity, equity and inclusion. According to a leadership team member, since they are a “journalistic organization, there’s a level of [DEI] that’s not just about our internal culture and processes, but about how we do our work” — an understanding they believe is amplified by the sensitive nature of the topic on which their organization focuses. Another leadership team member added that a key component to DEI work within their organization was recognizing the value of a diverse workforce, noting that part of that value is derived from the individuals on staff having agency in their work. 

A staff member added that within a news outlet there is an additional layer added to DEI work. Specifically, this person noted DEI “means all of the normal workplace [issues] — things like making sure that everyone has opportunities and is included, but it is also a piece of how we interact with our audience.” That means the impact of DEI policies are felt both internally and externally. For example, a staff member noted an important part of their work is discussing the societal implications of a story and recognizing that their journalism can have political and social impact on the audience.  

Lessons learned

Across both leadership and staff, News Outlet C offered examples of initial successes for various DEI practices, including engaging more intentionally with DEI work with the help of consultants, engaging in internal conversation around best practices and metrics, and increasing the diversity of their staff. However, despite the progress News Outlet C has made in growing the understanding and application of DEI values, there was acknowledgement that there was still room for learning. Specifically, News Outlet C shared their experiences and lessons learned around hiring DEI consultants, hiring and retention practices, and building internal trust. 

Hiring DEI Consultants

When building DEI practices and policies, it is often beneficial to hire outside consultants and evaluators to help with the work. Equity work requires expertise that often falls beyond the capabilities of newsroom leaders and staff. Perception plays a role, too: a significant minority of respondents to the organizational assessment survey expressed doubts that leadership was equipped to participate in internal and external conversations around race.

These challenges are also what led News Outlet C to seek out external consultants to help transform the outlet’s organizational structure. This work included an in-person retreat and a pay equity review —an issue that was brought to leadership’s attention by the consultants and prompted changes like ensuring that current and future staff receive equitable pay based on pre-established metrics. These efforts, among others, are ongoing. DEI work is complex and takes time to develop; hiring external consultants signals that this work is being taken seriously.  

Not All DEI Experts Will Be A Good Fit For Your Organization

News Outlet C also highlighted that not every DEI consulting firm fulfills the needs of an organization, and despite the good intentions behind this work, if it is not a good fit, the partnership will not create lasting change. For example, in 2022, News Outlet C hired a DEI consultant that led workshops over zoom. A staff member noted that this workshop felt like they were “just getting lectured with a powerpoint” and it was more of a “lists of do’s and don’ts.” According to staff, the lack of interactivity of this approach did not really teach them how to engage with DEI work, foster an inclusive environment or build community.  

In response to feedback, rather than host a virtual DEI training, News Outlet C hosted in 2023 a company retreat in which they were able to more intently engage in the work. One staff member noted that through one of the exercises they were surprised to learn how much in common they had with a co-worker they previously didn’t think they could relate to and that experience gave them the opportunity to learn from their colleagues in ways that they hadn’t before. However, despite the success of this retreat, staff members were quick to note that they believe this work needed to continue on a daily basis in order for it to have a meaningful and lasting impact within their news outlet. This was reflected in the organizational assessment survey, in which 81% of respondents were not aware of any specific DEI goals that stories need to meet before publishing. This indicated a need to factor in the external impact of your news organization’s work as you build DEI policies and systems.  

Increasing Staff Diversity Through Hiring and Retention 

News Outlet C is a single issue focused newsroom, which creates unique challenges around hiring and retention. A leadership team member noted that being a single issue news outlet doesn’t necessarily mean they only hire journalists with specific skill sets, but due to the sensitivity of the topic, they believe they need to provide more support than other news outlets for their staff — an issue they are currently working on.

Be Aware of the Needs of Current and Future Staff

A leadership team member noted that while they have been able to diversify demographically, they also have focused on hiring staff that have different work and lived experiences. While this helps to bring a wide range of expertise and lenses to their work, it creates additional challenges in terms of the support their staff may need. It also requires additional time to create the systems that will ensure their new employees succeed. Despite this challenge, they emphasized, “One exciting thing about working here is that we do have the capacity, in some cases, to take bets on people and bring them up. … That range of hiring ability is, in part, what makes this work so exciting and fulfilling and creates a longer term pipeline of journalists and journalists of color who are equipped to cover this challenging issue.”

Acknowledge and Work Against the Impacts of Burnout 

Staff members expressed the positives of working in a space that is actively recruiting to help diversify the stories being written while also acknowledging some barriers persist despite the increased diversity. Staff identified four main barriers:  

• The sensitivity of the topic they cover creates more risk of burnout. 
• There is a need for more support around mental health concerns, professional development and mentorship.
• The lack of avenues to provide feedback about organizational structure and leadership hampers progress.
• There is not a clear path for upward mobility within the organization.  

Given that their organization focuses on a single issue, staff members also highlighted the need for them to be experts on their topic, which requires on-the-job training to succeed in this space. News Outlet C is, therefore, not only juggling the need to recruit staff that is willing to build an expertise on a single issue, but it must also build a support system that protects its staff from the negative consequences of only focusing on one potentially traumatic topic. A staff member highlighted the “sweet spot” between DEI training and professional development, noting that for them, DEI training should help boost their understanding of the topic they cover. DEI training, the staff member added, should also provide a foundation for a support system that is “both communal and maybe on an individual level, that would allow people to find some support and relief from the tensions and the burdens that sometimes come with this coverage and the work. It would also ensure that those same experiences inform that person’s future work and the organization’s future work as they stay on.”

Building Trust 

While building internal trust is critical to the development of all news outlets, News Outlet C’s experience highlights the need to intentionally incorporate internal trust-building metrics within a news outlet. 

Trust within an organization is critical to create an inclusive environment. As News Outlet C continues this work, leadership acknowledged the challenges that exist in rebuilding trust within an organization. A leadership team member noted:

There is a big emphasis on building internal trust. I mean, I think we certainly went through a period as an organization, I think it was 2020, maybe spring 2021, where we first had some conversations after George Floyd about our coverage [and] which sources we were relying on [and] how to cover police …  [and] other forms … of violence kind of more core to our mission. … So we had those conversations. … I faced some criticism, questions about my management, and whether we were building an organization where everyone was valued equally, or the people could bring forward concerns and complaints, whether it was fair and equitable, which we believed it was, but we hadn’t scrutinized through an outside objective expert.

This lack of trust was echoed by staff members. Some noted that the hierarchical structure of their organization created power dynamics that were not conducive to trust building. For example, while staff were appreciative of performance reviews, they noted that performance reviews were only top-down. Staff members did not feel like they had an opportunity to reflect on management or contribute ideas on how to improve the internal culture. This sentiment was reflected in the organizational assessment: 46% of respondents did not believe their organization was working on evaluating staff and leadership on anti-racism and pro-equity skills. 

Other staff members noted that due to the structure of the newsroom, it was often difficult to transfer lessons learned in DEI trainings because they did not believe they had the power within their organization to have that sort of impact. One staff member noted, “There’s rarely a chance for people who aren’t in leadership to weigh in on things like, what we as an organization should be trying to do or focusing on. … It feels like there are directives, and there’s not an opportunity to contribute, unless you’re at the top.” 

Other staff members noted the importance of transparency and acknowledging the barriers that exist in developing trust. Without trust, staff members felt that it makes it more difficult to know who you can turn to when you need help. One staff member explained that these lessons are important because understanding the history of your news outlet is how you facilitate change within an organization. 

Through these experiences, News Outlet C has started to work on rebuilding the trust within the organization. One way News Outlet C has introduced more transparency is by inviting all staff members to board meetings, sharing meeting notes and discussing job descriptions. While this is just a first step, these changes have helped to create a space for staff members to understand what is happening from an organizational standpoint, which helps to create a sense of belonging within the organization. 

Strategic Considerations

???? Acknowledge that journalism as an industry is DEI work and that DEI values should be guiding your organization.

???? Don’t be afraid of feedback. DEI work is about growth — acknowledging the areas of weakness within your organization is an important first step in this work.

???? Ensure that outside consultants are a good fit for your organization. Do this by relying on your staff to inform you of the supports and needs they have identified as high priority.

???? Focus on transparency and trust building, understanding that you can’t have one without the other.

???? Don’t be afraid of incorporating 360 reviews in your performance reviews. This will not only support trust building activities, but it provides invaluable information and data for leadership and managers.

???? Acknowledge that DEI work should be continuous and the goals around this work should be routinely discussed. As on staff member noted, it’s important to have “goals that we set and to have those conversations maybe quarterly, because we have a lot of new hires … and if you start mid year … a lot of staffers may not be aware of what the goals are.”

* These case studies were produced as part of a partnership with the Diversity Pledge Institute (DPI) — a nonprofit dedicated to research, analysis and education related to inclusivity and belonging in journalism.