Coalition organizes day of action for movement to fix public media’s workplace culture
Private and public reckonings over public media’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in our workplaces and audience service signal profound shifts in what employees and supporters expect from our local and national organizations.
Since sexual harassment allegations of the #MeToo movement toppled men who led public media newsrooms and signature programs such as The Takeaway, Charlie Rose and A Prairie Home Companion, staff at stations and national organizations are speaking publicly and anonymously about continuing problems in their workplaces. Leaders who failed to address misconduct, racism and power disparities have been called out publicly on social media and in news coverage. Some have left their jobs, or are preparing to.
Considering the breadth and depth of controversies, it’s a small wonder that public radio and television have kept a lid for so long on the deep problems that have been exposed in public media’s workplace culture. Use of Twitter and Medium as platforms for testimonials of unresolved grievances — as well as the wider movement of unionization of journalists — has changed unwritten rules that compelled acquiescence from previous generations. The #MeToo and Black Lives Matter movements pushed our mainstream American culture to take people’s experiences with abuse seriously. Public media’s moment of redress has arrived.
It is for this reason that people of color came together to found and lead Public Media for All, an initiative to raise awareness about the negative effects of public media’s white-dominated culture and power structure. Our vision is to share solutions for individuals and organizations to address problems with diversity, equity and inclusion. As with any effort of this nature, some of us are privileged enough to speak openly. Others, due to life or work factors, have less visible roles. Nevertheless, all of us are united in pursuit of a better public media industry.