Appendix A: Methods
The diversity audit of North Carolina newsrooms was made up of two surveys, one asking news organizations themselves for their EEOC data and another from individuals working for news organizations about their demographic characteristics, journalism experience, salary, and sense of belonging in the newsroom. We took this approach because other diversity surveys have had limited success obtaining adequate responses. The surveys opened May 15, 2022, and closed September 15, 2022. Each survey and its recruitment methods are described below.
Survey of News Organizations
Questionnaire
The survey of news organizations was brief and asked for the news organization’s name, headquarter location by county and the counties in the organization’s coverage area. Staff data collected included the number of FTE staff receiving a w2, the number of freelance workers receiving a 1099 contracted by the organization, and the number of each working in reporting, production and editorial, strategy and product, and engagement roles. We then asked the number of FTE staff who are women, men, or other genders, the number who are Black, Asian, Pacific Islander, Native American, or White as well as how many identify as Hispanic or Latino. We also asked for the number of top leadership in those demographic categories.
Recruitment
The research team used data from the U.S. News Deserts database, FCC queries, and the Project News Oasis database to identify news outlets in the state and then collected contact information for leadership from each organization’s website. The research team emailed editors, news directors, general managers, and publishers of 428 media organizations in North Carolina. We sent multiple email reminders during the survey period. The research team also used the Twitter accounts for CISLM and the NC Local News Workshop for recruitment and encouraged respondents to share the survey with others. We received responses from 36 newsrooms, a response rate of 8%, limiting our ability to make generalizable conclusions about the state’s newsrooms.
Participating Newsrooms:
The Charlotte Ledger, Charlotte
The Smoky Mountain News
Elon News Network, Elon University
Mountain Xpress, Asheville
Fayetteville Observer, Fayetteville
The Chronicle, Duke University
The Assembly
Triad City Beat, Greensboro
Burlington Latino, Burlington
Border Belt Independent, Whiteville
NC Health News, Chapel Hill
Spectrum News One, Raleigh
Smoky Mountain Times, Bryson City
Enlace Latino NC, Raleigh
North Carolina Public Radio/WUNC, Chapel Hill
Pine Needle News, UNC – Pembroke
The News & Observer, Raleigh
The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte
Asheville Watchdog, Asheville
New Bern Sun Journal, New Bern
Kinston Free Press, Kinston
QCity Metro, Charlotte
The Charlotte Post, Charlotte
The Daily Tar Heel, UNC at Chapel Hill
Ocracoke Observer, Ocracoke
Public Radio East, New Bern
Scalawag
Carolina Public Press, Asheville
Blue Ridge Public Radio, Asheville
The Echo, Warren Wilson College
WFAE, Charlotte
The Daily News, Jacksonville
PBS North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Four Oaks – Benson News in Review, Benson
The Voice, Fayetteville State University
Survey of Individual Workers
Questionnaire
To expand the types of data we could collect, we surveyed individuals working in news organizations across this state. Surveys of news organizations, particularly small news organizations, are limited in terms of the demographic data that can be collected because employers cannot release certain data, such as data about persons with disabilities, and do not collect or have to collect other data, such as sexual orientation. Therefore, surveying individuals provides an opportunity to broaden the scope of questions asked about demographic and diversity measures. We additionally wanted to have some data about journalism experience and sense of belonging in the newsroom.
The survey asked workers for the name and location of their newsroom, their number of years of experience in journalism as well as in their current newsroom, if they were an FTE employee receiving a w2 or a contract worker receiving a 1099, for their salary range if an FTE employee or their hourly rate if they are a freelancer, and if their role is in reporting, production and editorial, strategy and product, or engagement.
The survey asked respondents to indicate how much they agreed with statements that their identity and background are valued in their newsroom, that they have a sense of belonging in their newsroom, and that they are respected by their colleagues.
Finally, we asked respondents to indicate their gender identity, their race, their ethnicity, their sexual orientation, what, if any, disabilities they have, and whether or not they have sought accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act for their disabilities.
Recruitment
The research team initially recruited respondents through posts shared by the Twitter accounts of both CISLM and the NC Local News Workshop as well as through the NC Local News workshop newsletter. The newsletter included a link to the survey and a description of its purpose. After initial recruitment resulted in a low number of responses, the research team added an incentive of a chance to receive one of five $50 gift cards. Using the list of newsrooms recruited to the organizational survey, we collected the contact information of staff from each organization’s website. We then emailed an invitation to participate staff members in newsrooms across the state. Our goal for responses was 250 in order to allow for comparisons across groups.
Number Checking and Review
A graduate student researcher reviewed this report to verify the accuracy of data reported, prior research referenced, and conclusions made.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge the following for their contributions to this project:
Callan Hazeldine, Graduate student researcher, secondary data collection
Andrea Lorenz, Ph.D. student researcher, number checking and report review