News

People of color at ‘New York Times’ get lower ratings in job reviews, union says : NPR


The New York Times Building in New York City.

Spencer Platt / Getty Images


hide captions

switch captions

Spencer Platt / Getty Images

Comprehensive data analysis for about 1,000 New York Times staff members employed by members of the union representing its newsroom found that Black and Latino employees were much less likely to receive job ratings than their white counterparts. their.

The NewsGuild union says there are financial consequences to job ratings because they affect the size of employee bonuses. But staffers told NPR that the distinction was even more important because it pointed to a fundamental systemic problem that the paper failed to address. They say it is demoralizing and contributing to the premature departure of several colleagues.

The guild’s study, published on Tuesday, comes amid uneven negotiations over the newspaper’s contract with NewsGuild. The paper is still active under the terms of the final term, which expires in 2021.

Reports from the NewsGuild chapter representing employees of The New York Times. The study, shared before release with NPR News, reflects data stretching back to 2018, when a new rating system was introduced.

Despite some fluctuations – on average, Black employee performance has increased in recent years, while it has declined for Latinos at the organization – white workers are consistently rated as doing well than their peers.

A senior New York Times spokesman said the newspaper took the association’s concerns seriously – assessing similar objections a year ago and finding they did not reflect bias. The spokeswoman, Danielle Rhoades Ha, said the newspaper was reviewing the Guild’s latest analysis.

“Having a fair performance review system is one of the most important levers we have to ensure we’re developing and supporting the growth of our employees fairly,” said Rhoades Ha. in a statement to NPR. “We are committed to implementing a fair and equitable performance review system and we have been working to continuously improve it.”

“There’s still a long way to go”

“We started this analysis almost two years ago from an honest investigation,” said Ben Casselman, an economics reporter for the newspaper involved in the research. “We want to know if there is a racial disparity. We hope the answer is no. Obviously not.”

He said that he enjoys reporting and working for Times and colleagues raised the issue with the newspaper’s parent company in an attempt to resolve how reviews are structured. Instead, the paper sought to downplay the significance of the findings, according to the association, suggesting it used faulty logic. The Society interviewed scholars who designed such methodology, and they mocked the newspaper’s reported stance.

Time is far only here. Time is trying to build a more diverse staff. I believe they really meant it,” Casselman said. But building a diverse staff means more than hiring a diverse team…. This whole process is proof that there is still a long way to go. “

Time spokesperson opposed the assertion that the article refuted the process. Rhoades Ha said the paper dives into what it calls a “multi-year action plan,” starting in February 2021, to “make the paper a great place to work for everyone. ” She says the plan includes hiring new talent management heads and compensation and benefits. It also includes the creation of new departments to promote inclusion throughout the company and address newsroom culture.

“NewsGuild brought up a similar issue last year about our ratings,” she added. “We’ve performed our own expert analysis, which gives us confidence that our ratings are not being applied in a discriminatory manner.” The Times has promised more improvements and is reviewing the guild’s latest findings, she said.

Testimonials shared with NPR from Times journalists give some texture to their objections. Many journalists told the union the embarrassment they felt at what they said was the stark gap between the brilliant reviews from the editors and their scores at the end of each year. Some people noted that The Times had done investigations of other major corporations, such as Amazon and Starbucks, and said they wanted the article to more effectively address concerns near home.

“A Puerto Rican Girl From Queens”

One ago New York Times The Asian-American reporter told NPR that she cried after receiving a mediocre job rating even though she had received positive verbal reviews. She said she did not see a future and took a job with a competitor. (She said she was not authorized by her new employer to speak on file.)

Frances Robles, a Florida-based investigative reporter for Times country table, said she experienced frustration after receiving warm reviews from her editor and delicate numerical ratings in 2018, 2019 and 2020. “I don’t understand their logic. I don’t understand them think what they’re doing,” Robles said. Robles says she personally doesn’t have such worries anymore: her rating went up in 2021, after she complained about the discord, she said. But Robles says the dynamic still demoralizes colleagues, especially younger employees. (She serves on the association’s bargaining committee and also on the editorial committee regarding the work environment and advises Latinos there.)

Like most Times journalists spoke to NPR, Robles expressed admiration for the article and appreciation for the work she had to do. However, she pointed out that reporting that she did helped uncover the misconduct of a former Brooklyn homicide detective in a series of cases. Robles and three colleagues have won the Polk Prize. According to the Associated PressThe 20 rulings in the cases he built were overturned – in part as a result of the report, which Robles said was possible simply because she was “a Puerto Rican girl from Queens.”

Diversity efforts include top appointees

Many organizations, internal and external media, have recognized the need to build and maintain a diverse workforce and have taken greater strides to find ways to achieve these goals. there.

In time, A concerted equity effort included the appointment of a top-level editor, Rebecca Blumenstein, with a focus on diversity and inclusion in the newsroom. She reports directly to the newspaper’s publisher and president, AG Sulzberger. The newspaper’s chief human resources officer, Jacqueline Welch, has many years of experience in the field, including, most recently, as director of diversity at Freddie Mac.

According to the most recent data, published in the newspaper last year, People of color make up 33% of the company and 23% of its leadership positions in 2020. Both are up about 2% year over year. The paper aims to double the proportions of its African-American and Hispanic peers by 2025.

The report adds, however, that although the company’s workforce experienced a decline in attrition in 2020, “colleagues Black/African and Latino/Hispanic [left] with a high rate. “Rhoades Ha said the article will soon include more current statistics.

Some Times staff members are questioning the effectiveness of the newspaper’s efforts.

“People should be concerned that there exists a universe of consultants and economists that companies hire to bury their bad diversity statistics,” says Robles. That company is one of the greatest newspapers in the world, always seeking to tell the truth with authority, without fear or favor. “



Source link

news7f

News7F: Update the world's latest breaking news online of the day, breaking news, politics, society today, international mainstream news .Updated news 24/7: Entertainment, Sports...at the World everyday world. Hot news, images, video clips that are updated quickly and reliably

Related Articles

Back to top button