1 in 3 Black Women Find it Challenging to Find Stable Work in Media
Our Black Women In Media Survey Report Is Now Available. Find Out How You Can Support & Uplift Black Women Voices In Media!
We’re excited to launch our first major initiative on this glorious first day of Black History Month. Over the last two months, we surveyed Black women in media to understand their unique experience working in an industry where 7% of newsroom employees are Black (Pew Research Center).
Each respondent shared in detail their work and how they plan to move the needle forward as a Black woman in media. We’re grateful to spotlight these women and share their insights in this blog post. We discuss how their experiences compare to those released in recent reports on the media industry over the last years. We also share what is missing and disempowering for Black women specifically, and what we can all do to change the industry.
Here’s a snapshot of the report and a quick way that you can show your support and stand with Black women in media today!
What does the data show?
Our research shows that 35% of Black women found it difficult to find stable work in the media industry, enduring challenges such as upward mobility, dealing with microaggressions and other various stereotypes, and finding the proper compensation. With the ongoing struggles of the pandemic, tough times seem to have gotten tougher, with over 40% percent of women still searching for opportunities.
But these women are phenomenal, talented, driven women who deserve not just the seat at the table but to hold more leadership positions and equal pay within these organizations — just based on their experience and expertise alone.
According to our research, 39% have worked in the media industry for over seven years. Over 90% are college-educated with, 44% holding a graduate degree. We’re talking about talented journalists, producers, publicists, and on-air personalities!
As a society, we’re now heavily focused on The Great Resignation and the growing pivot of people leaving their careers to fulfill their passions. However, we’re overlooking the fantastic talent that still desires to work in this industry. Over half of these women are still searching for full-time or freelance opportunities. This means that the interest is there to grow and work in the media industry; it just needs to be nurtured!
This data is important because most recent reports focus strictly on the overwhelmingly strong presence of white men in media versus the number of women in general. However, they have not considered how this specifically affects Black women and women of color or the challenges Black women endure within the industry.
How can I help?
That work begins today! We are asking each of you to join us in this initiative in intentionally uplifting Black women media voices.
If you are an individual or have a business that would like to support Black women in media, please consider taking our pledge. We challenge media organizations, outlets, and businesses to commit to our corporate pledge and work with us to make real change within the industry. Change starts with all of us!
We put together a small kit of pre-made posts and stories that you can immediately start sharing, along with a couple of sample messages to use and adapt as your own.
This is a reminder that Black women in media are important and must be seen. Thank you to all of the brave and vocal women who took this survey and shared their experiences. You all were a significant part of launching this initiative!
These are women who find it a personal priority to fill a void in media by producing stories that are accessible and relatable to audiences of varied educational levels, socioeconomic background, and social interests. Let’s take the opportunity to stand with our Black women journalists, writers, contributors, and all who make an incredible impact within the media industry.
Take our pledge today and join us in this movement in uplifting Black women media voices!
If you are interested in partnering with Notedd on this initiative or any of our upcoming opportunities, click the link below to be directed to our team inbox.
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