By Melody Mercado
Joie Chen, former CBS Correspondent, discusses the importance of diversity in the newsroom and its impact on reporting and the workplace.
During her time at CBS, Joie Chen was the only minority female to rank among the 50 most visible network correspondents. An accomplishment that for many would spark extreme pride and joy, but this resonated differently with Chen.
“I mean you’d say are you proud of that, and I would say well yes but it actually makes me a little sad that there were not other women of color in that group… and that there were only three people of color overall in that top 50. That’s pretty tragic,” said Chen.
It’s no secret that diversity in the newsroom is falling short. In 2017 minorities comprised of only 16.55 percentof newsrooms’ staff across all different types of platforms. Chen stresses that diversity is essential in the newsroom, in order to give us different perspectives. Without it we are left with only a narrow look into our world.
“Whether it’s political diversity, or ethnic diversity, racial diversity, or faith-based diversity all these things lead us to bring different voices into the news community, leads us to cover different stories, [and] exposes us to different ways of thinking,” said Chen.
Even though some form of diversity may exist in the newsroom, it doesn’t protect minorities from being stigmatized or stereotyped. Chen experienced this well into her career, when a coworker in the newsroom suggested that she consider taking an English writing class.
“You know I was born and raised in the U.S…I’ve won awards for my writing,” said Chen. “But it was very strange how somebody at that point in my career…by then I’d already been at it for more than 20 years.”
Was it possible that people didn’t believe that English was Chen’s first language? Not only was it shocking, but also disturbing to Chen that there was someone who made that assumption at the very highest level of network news.
For minorities, the real catch 22 is how do you cover your own community without being pigeon-holed? For example, if there’s only one Hispanic in the newsroom does that mean they are governed as the only person to cover Latino focused stories?
For Chen, this manifested in Atlanta. A Korean store owner in a predominately African American community was experiencing conflict with its neighbors. Members of the community didn’t feel welcomed inside and the store owner felt that he didn’t know who to trust. The ultimate question was should the store remain in the community, or should it relocate.
“I remember, you know a perfectly legitimate story for a television station to cover. Should I as the Asian person go into that and do that reporting, or is that going to create conflict,” said Chen.
Was it going to create an impression of favoritism? On the other hand, Chen considered that the store owner might be willing to talk to her over any other reporter, but that it also might make members of the community not willing to speak with her.
Chen shared her concerns with her news director after being assigned the story. He assured her his decision was because he thought of her as a professional first, and assigned her based on his belief that she would do a good job. Throughout Chen’s career she specialized in hot-button issues and so this story fit her beat well.
In the end, both sides were receptive with her presence and overall reporting. Chen said the takeaway from her experience is that her boss was a thoughtful leader. She was able to voice her concerns and from there a solution was formed.
“I think the ability to find somebody who, you know, find the employers who are willing to hear you out is important,” said Chen. “You may not know every time and you may not get it right, but that can really be an empowering thing particularly for a young journalist to find those people who can really support them.”
The most diverse newsroom that Chen was a part of was at Al Jazeera America. Launched in 2013, the network lasted almost three years before it closed in 2016. Although it didn’t have a very long life, Al Jazeera America’s coverage was strongly dictated by the diversity of the staff.
According to Chen, at every level the newsroom was filled with different races, ethnicities, ages, experiences, and religion. As a result, the channel was naturally pursuing more topics in underrepresented communities. Al Jazeera America made a conscious effort to reach out geographically to parts of the country that were deemed undesirable.
“At Al Jazeera, we made a really conspicuous attempt to say look, we want our coverage to look beyond Washington and New York, and even Chicago and Los Angeles,” said Chen.
After Al Jazeera America dissolved, many from the staff were absorbed into other major news organizations. As a result, some organizations started to pick up, and follow up with some of the stories that Al Jazeera originally reported on.
“The lesson of that, is that you can actually…if you created a diverse newsroom you can actually change coverage,” said Chen. “Your coverage can be broader and deeper if you bring different voices into the mix.”
Journalists of color who are entering the field need to be reminded that they bring something extra to the table. In her early years, Chen admits to trying to suppress her identity as a journalist of color but urges others to not follow in her footsteps.
For journalists it’s a huge opportunity to be able to speak your mind. Chen said that you can’t get your way every time, but being able to share your unique views and experiences is very important.
“Remember that you as an individual, whatever that means,” said Chen, “bring[s] something to every newsroom that you will work in.”
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