New Survey Finds Journalism Layoffs Most Harmed Women, Journalists of Color and Younger Professionals
The IIJ Foundation survey of journalists found that layoffs disproportionately impacted women, people of color, and younger professionals, the first report to capture a comprehensive picture of laid off journalists’ experiences. Results – also published by the Columbia Journalism Review – include:
Women and people of color were disproportionately represented in the 176 responses received from laid off journalists
Women comprised 68% of survey respondents, but only 46% of the journalism workforce, according to Pew Research Center’s analysis
Journalists with less than three years in a job made up a majority of respondents (52%) as did those aged 26 to 45 (70%)
Journalists of color were 42% of survey respondents, but only represent 17% of the labor force
“The layoff plunged me into a personal, professional, and spiritual crisis. I have been diagnosed with major depressive disorder,” said Beth, 43, a Midwestern copy editor laid off in summer 2023. “I am unable to have confidence in myself or my skills. I have lost friends who no longer wanted to listen to me cry about losing my job.”
“The two months after the layoff, I honestly remember doing nothing. I was just shocked. It’s a little scary that there’s so much competition out there, so many people that are awesome at what they do,” said Janice Llamoca, 37, who lost her job as senior producer at VICE Audio in April 2023. “Every time I see journalism news cuts, all that rich storytelling is getting lost. Our role was to put a face to news.”
“I’ve been asking myself the question, do I want to return to journalism in any shape, way or capacity, and even after almost a year, I haven’t gotten an answer,” said Sarah Belle Lin, 30, who lost her job reporting local news for amNewYork in October 2023. “I wish to see the industry blossom and thrive, and see more women, more people of color and queer folks enter the space. So I don’t feel I’ve lost faith in media, but I have been losing all my hope for how the industry is structured and the business model.”
Over the last three years, layoffs hit 8,300 journalists across print, broadcast and digital news organizations, according to outplacement firm Challenger, Grey & Christmas. Yet companies have released scant information about the demographics or experiences of laid off journalists. The News Leaders Association’s newsroom census used to provide some visibility, but 2019 is the last year for which data is available.
“This survey is the first to capture the human cost of layoffs on journalists, as well as the impact on newsroom talent. It confirms what has been reported anecdotally across the country: layoffs fell disproportionately on women, younger professionals and journalists of color,” said Katherine Reynolds Lewis, founder and executive director of the IIJ Foundation, which conducted the research. “Survey takers shared heartbreaking stories of financial desperation, loss of identity, and depression as the result of a media layoff.”
This year, 176 journalists participated in the survey, answering up to 38 questions that were designed to explore the demographics and experiences of those affected by layoffs and buyouts. Outreach to participants was conducted through the Institute for Independent Journalists’ social media, newsletter, and direct contacts. The IIJ Foundation also partnered with over 30 organizations who shared the survey with their networks.
The journalism workforce has been shrinking for decades, at a time when news leaders launched programs aimed at leveling historic inequity by race and gender. After the 1968 Kerner Commission report blamed systemic racism and inequity for fueling a scism in society along racial lines, journalism leaders pledged to address the underrepresentation of both journalists of color and women in the industry by reporting diversity data annually to the American Society of News Editors, now known as the News Leaders Association. In the first two decades of that effort, the amount of non-white journalists rose to about 12 percent in 2000 from just 4 percent in 1978 – and then stalled for the following two decades. As the participation by newsrooms fell each year, it became harder and harder to draw industry-wide conclusions, and the survey officially ended. The last year for which data is available is 2019.
Because news organizations no longer disclose their employees’ demographic data to the News Leaders Association, it has been hard to understand the impact of layoffs on the diversity of U.S. newsrooms. The IIJ Foundation, with a grant from the Field Foundation of Illinois, undertook this project to shine light on the populations most impacted by news layoffs.
Thank you to the Field Foundation of Illinois for supporting this project
Methodology
The IIJ Foundation surveyed journalists who were either laid off or received a buyout in 2022 or later. More than 30 other journalism organizations, media unions, and newsletter publishers circulated the survey to their audiences. The data were collected via Google Form from 12/21/23 through 9/16/24. Respondents include those who were laid off or took a buyout from a U.S. news organization, or U.S. division of a global newsroom. The data primarily includes those who were working full-time as employees. In all, the survey includes 176 respondents.
Partner Organizations
We are so grateful for the organizations that helped us circulate the survey to journalists who experienced layoffs and buyouts. They include:
#AmWriting Podcast
Asian American Journalists Association
Asian American Journalists Association - DC chapter
Association of Independents in Radio
Chalkbeat Guild
The Deliberate Freelancer
Fund for Investigative Journalism
High Country News Union
Inside the Newsroom
Insider Union
Institute for Nonprofit News
Journalism & Women Symposium
Knight Science Journalism Program at MIT
Los Angeles Times Guild/ Media Guild of The West
Media Guild of the West
Narrative Gigs
National Association of Black Journalists - DC chapter
National Association of Hispanic Journalists
National Association of Hispanic Journalists - DC chapter
National Association of Science Writers
News Guild of New York
Next Gen Radio
NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists
NPR Union
Online News Association
Open News
The Open Notebook
Opportunities of the Week
Pandemic University
Pen Parentis
Poynter Institute
The Racial Equity in Journalism Fund / Borealis Philanthropy
Science Writing Roundup
Screen Actors Guild- American Federation of Television and Radio Artists
Society for Professional Journalists
Society of Environmental Journalists
South Asian Journalists Association
The News Guild of New York
URL Media
The Writers Coop
Will & Way Newsletter
Press Release
Washington, D.C. (OCT. 14, 2024) – About two-thirds of journalism layoffs impacted women, with 70% falling on professionals aged 26 to 45, and 42% impacting people of color, according to a new survey the Institute for Independent Journalists conducted of journalists who experienced layoffs or buyouts since 2022.
The IIJ’s new survey, released on its website and in an article published by the Columbia Journalism Review, is the first to capture a comprehensive picture of laid off journalists’ experiences. Results include:
Women, young journalists and people of color were disproportionately represented in the 176 responses received from journalists who experienced layoffs or buyouts since 2022
Women represented 68% of survey respondents but only 46% of the journalism workforce, according to Pew Research Center data
Journalists of color comprised 42% of survey respondents, while only being 17% of the labor force
Journalists with less than three years in a job made up a majority of respondents (52%) as did those aged 26 to 45 (70%)
LGBTQ+ professionals represented 28% of survey takers and those reporting a disability comprised 17%
“This survey is the first to capture the human cost of recent layoffs on journalists, as well as the impact on newsroom talent. It confirms what has been reported anecdotally across the country: layoffs fell disproportionately on women, journalists of color and younger professionals,” said Katherine Reynolds Lewis, founder and executive director of the IIJ Foundation, which conducted the research. “Survey takers shared heartbreaking stories of financial desperation, loss of identity, and depression as the result of a media layoff.”
The survey comes on the heels of new layoffs in journalism, at Resolve Philly, ABC News and New York Public Radio in recent weeks. The IIJ website has been tracking layoff announcements since January 2023.
Over the last three years, layoffs hit 8,300 journalists across print, broadcast and digital news organizations, according to outplacement firm Challenger, Grey & Christmas. That’s more than 9% of the 89,330 people employed as newspaper, broadcast and online editors, reporters and journalists in 2023, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Yet companies have released scant information about the demographics or experiences of laid off journalists.
The journalism workforce has been shrinking for decades, at a time when news leaders launched programs aimed at leveling historic inequity by race and gender. After the Kerner Commission report blamed systemic racism and inequity for fueling a scism in society along racial lines, journalism leaders pledged to address the underrepresentation of both journalists of color and women in the industry by reporting diversity data annually to the American Society of News Editors, now known as the News Leaders Association. In the first two decades of that effort, the amount of non-white journalists rose to about 12 percent in 2000 from just 4 percent in 1978 – and then stalled for the following two decades. As the participation by newsrooms fell each year, it became harder and harder to draw industry-wide conclusions, and the survey officially ended. The last year for which data is available is 2019.
Because of the scant data, it has been hard to understand the impact of recent layoffs on the diversity of U.S. newsrooms. The IIJ Foundation, with a grant from the Field Foundation of Illinois, undertook this project to shine light on the populations most impacted by news layoffs.
This year, 176 journalists participated in the survey, answering up to 38 questions that were designed to explore the demographics and experiences of those affected by layoffs and buyouts. Outreach to participants was conducted through the Institute for Independent Journalists’ social media, newsletter, and direct contacts. The IIJ Foundation also partnered with over 30 organizations who shared the survey with their networks.
View the survey results, methodology and list of participating organizations:
The project team: https://theiij.com/census#team
Graphics to illustrate the story in this folder
For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact Ann Marie Awad, 716-807-1438, editor@theiij.com
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About the IIJ:
The Institute for Independent Journalists’ mission is financial and emotional sustainability for freelancers of color. IIJ programs include free webinars, online courses, and an annual virtual conference to support, connect, and uplift independent journalists. The IIJ Foundation, a fiscally sponsored project of Players Philanthropy Fund, conducted the survey thanks to a grant from the Field Foundation of Illinois.
