How The D.O. is tracking diversity in our newsroom

As The Daily Orange prepares for a new semester, we’re reflecting on a promise we made in August.

We outlined the ways in which we were working to improve the diversity of our newsroom and the stories we tell. We promised to conduct surveys of our staff’s diversity; track the number of stories we pursue that highlight marginalized communities; and publish a report detailing our work.

In mid-February, we will publish the first iteration of The D.O.’s diversity report, with recommendations for improvement from our staff and Board of Directors. We’ll put together similar data for a second report in late spring, and future management teams will publish their reports semesterly as well. 

These are some of the findings from the staff demographics survey we completed last fall:

• 77% of the staff identified as white, 13% as Asian or Asian American, 8% as Black and 5% as Latino.
• 26% of the staff identified as LGBTQ.
• 59% of the staff identified as female. No staffers identified as nonbinary or transgender.
• 41% of the staff qualifies for no financial aid, while 15% qualifies for the Pell Grant. 

In analyzing our fall coverage, we found that people of color represented 37%, 23% and 32% of sources interviewed in our News, Opinion and Culture sections, respectively. About 34% of our sports coverage focused on women’s sports. 

To conduct this analysis, staffers filled out a spreadsheet each week that asked questions such as how many of their sources were people of color or how many of their sources were male, female or nonbinary. After the semester ended, the management team began compiling that data from hundreds of stories to identify trends in our coverage and areas for improvement.

The D.O. is now a more diverse newsroom than it was even a decade ago. But when compared to Syracuse University’s overall student body, the areas where we lag behind become clear.

SU’s fall 2020 census indicated that 52% of campus identified as white; 6% as Asian; 6.8% as Black; and 9.4% as Hispanic or Latino. International students represent about 19% of campus — but are barely represented at The D.O. 

We hope publishing these reports will ensure The D.O.’s editors are considering where and how our newsroom can improve. As a college newspaper, we have the benefit of training a new staff every semester and a new management team every year. With the flexibility of transition, The D.O. can make progress as fast as we’re willing to go. 

As a training ground for the next generation of top-notch journalists, The D.O. plays a crucial role in diversifying the news industry. Our upcoming report is the culmination of our first steps in fulfilling this role, and we look forward to sharing it with you soon. 

Best, 

Casey Darnell | Editor-in-chief, 2020-21

Emma Folts | Managing editor, 2020-21