Gannett has come in for criticism due to a
union study that shows that non-white journalists make $11,500 less than their white counterparts.
In addition, white male journalists make $12,200 more than minority
women journalists.
The study, conducted by The Gannett Regional Union, largely focuses on newsrooms in the New York-New Jersey region. It was based on salary and
demographic data acquired through a request for information to Gannett Co. Inc, fulfilled on Aug. 16.
Even veteran journalists who are non-white make $12,700 less than
their white counterparts. They are outnumbered by 9 to 1.
Median annual salaries for minority journalists at Gannett stagnate in the low $40,000 range, even while
their white counterparts continue to see pay hikes, the study says.
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Despite Gannett’s promise to seek diversity, white men make up 53% of
Gannett’s workforce across the region, greater than their proportion of the population.
Six employees represented by the union did not self-identify an
ethnicity.
Gannett has responded in the past that it seeks diversity and equity.
Moreover, male employees outnumber females
by 127 to 72 across six units that make up the Gannett Regional Union. One exception is Rochester, New York, where gender representation in the newsroom is equal. But the gender gap in the Hudson
Valley News Guild is 3 to 1.
Women start experiencing pay gaps as early as year 6 of their employment. Women who enter in their mid-career years earn $8,300 less
than men with similar years of service.
The analysis covers 199 staffers represented by the Gannett Regional Union. It includes both full-time and part-time
employees.