The Green Bay area's rich diversity needs to show up in the Press-Gazette newsroom, too
GREEN BAY - The Green Bay Press-Gazette is committed to reporting the news as it's experienced by people in the communities we serve.
That means all people, including those whose voices have been overlooked by traditional news outlets. And as we've reported during our yearlong "Home is Here" series, the people of Brown County present a rich mix of experiences, cultures and ethnic heritages.
Based on the 2020 U.S. Census, for example, the Latino community represents as much as 40% of the population in some parts of Green Bay. Overall, Black, Asian, Indigenous and Hispanic residents accounted for three-fourths of the population growth in Brown, Outagamie and Winnebago counties in the past decade.
Not just our reporting, but also our journalists, need to share that growing variety of perspectives.
To that end, we're committed to building and sustaining a workforce that's a reflection of the diversity here at home.
MORE:Here's how Green Bay, Fox Valley DEI specialists make the case for inclusion in workplaces
As part of that commitment, we're publishing the makeup of our newsroom staff each year. That same commitment is being carried out across the USA TODAY Network, which is made up of more than 200 local publications and USA TODAY.
"We will never achieve our quest for truth until our newsrooms fully reflect the communities we serve. Only then will we have diversity of perspectives to understand the facts we report in their full and proper context," said Maribel Perez Wadsworth, president of the USA TODAY Network, in announcing a new diversity initiative in 2020.
This information, a snapshot as of July 1, includes the gender and racial makeup of our news workforce and our coverage area, as well as for managers within our newsroom.
We believe that a diverse and inclusive newsroom staff helps us better connect and serve you — our readers and our partners — in working to make Brown County and northeastern Wisconsin a great place to live for everyone.
The Press-Gazette is among many organizations that have redoubled efforts to improve their staff diversity, and who already see the benefits of doing so.
Raiya Sankari-Diaz, diversity coordinator for the city of Green Bay, explained during a recent panel discussion that a variety of backgrounds and perspectives in the workforce leads to growth.
“If there’s diversity of thought in the room, then innovation starts happening and it completely has a huge effect on a business outcome,” Sankari-Diaz said.
MORE: Gannett newsrooms making steady progress in overall diversity
Developing a staff that's representative of our community's diversity is just one part of our efforts, though.
We've expanded our source list to include more people of color in our coverage. We've expanded coverage to report on issues of importance to communities who've been underserved. And we've vowed to listen — really listen — to help understand what issues are vital in helping people thrive here.
Our goal is that the newsroom staff of the Press-Gazette will closely reflect the audience we serve by 2025.
We know we have work to do. We're committed to doing it.
Note: The American Community Survey by the U.S. Census Bureau asks two separate questions, one about Hispanic origin and one about race, allowing individuals to self-select from multiple options.
However, to compare with internal Gannett employee information that asks individuals to mark only one option, we used the following categories: Hispanic or Latino (for ACS, regardless of any other race selected), White (not Hispanic or Latino), Black or African American (not Hispanic or Latino), Asian (not Hispanic or Latino), American Indian or Alaska Native (not Hispanic or Latino), Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander (not Hispanic or Latino), or two or more races (not Hispanic or Latino).
All information on racial identity is provided voluntarily by employees. Gannett also allows an individual to not disclose their race or ethnicity.
Mark Treinen is the editor of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. Contact him at 920-431-8392 or mtreinen@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @MarkTreinen.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Green Bay diversity needs to be reflected in Press-Gazette newsroom
