Globe and Mail launches diversity report
On Wednesday, Oct. 13, the Globe and Mail quietly released its first annual diversity report, reflecting that “visible minorities” and “persons with disabilities” are underrepresented across most employment categories.
The report, which was published on the Globe’s corporate news site, cites a three-year DEI roadmap and includes broad internal figures collected in 2018 (when the company conducted a voluntary internal survey), and data collected as part of mandatory surveys in 2020 and 2021.
“This inaugural diversity report will be our annual reckoning as we assess progress towards our diversity and inclusion goals, and what work we have left to do,” reads an introductory note from CEO and publisher Phillip Crawley.
Demographic data is broken down into four categories and uses Census Metropolitan Area figures as comparison points.
“Visible minorities are under-represented in senior leadership, sales and production roles. People with disabilities are under-represented in most job categories and represent a significant opportunity for improvement,” reads the report.
The document cites action items the Globe says it has undertaken in the areas of mental health, training and recruitment as ways to improve employment equity, including flexible work programming, the Carleton-partnered fund for racialized students, its involvement in the Room Up Front photojournalism mentorship program and other efforts to make visual media work more accessible and representative.
The Globe narrowly avoided a worker strike the week before the 2021 federal election as the union pushed for wage boosts and binding equity commitments, which the unit executive first recommended in a statement to management in June 2020.
“The union also noted that management refused ‘to acknowledge or remedy’ structural pay gaps among editorial employees,” wrote the Toronto Star’s Jacob Lorinc reporting on the strike negotiations in September.
A three-year contract was ratified on Sept. 16.
The Globe’s report is available online in full here.
Steph Wechsler is J-Source's managing editor.