Study finds large pay gap for women, journalists of color at Washington Post

Findings of a new study commissioned by a workers’ union at The Washington Post found wide gaps in pay for women and journalists of color compared to their white, male counterparts.

The study from the Washington Post Newspaper Guild, released on Wednesday, reported that as of last year, the median salary for Guild-covered women across the company was 13 percent lower than that for Guild-covered men.

The newspaper has also shown an inability to retain journalists of color, the study found. In 2020 alone, the data shows that more than 1 in 3 workers who left the newsroom were Black. Fewer than 1 in 5 of those hired that year were Black.

“This data analysis reveals a truth that’s indisputable: The Washington Post operates with systems that create and perpetuate inequalities,” the union said, summing up the study’s findings. “But the data alone cannot tell us why, how and what we can do to fix it.”

The union said the top-line findings of the project were shared with company leadership before its release on Wednesday. Members of the newspaper’s union also met with representatives of Post management and invited management to respond publicly, which the union said the company declined to do.

The Post did, however, “answer several fact-checking inquiries,” the union said.

A Post spokesperson on Wednesday told The Hill the company has “long been committed to paying employees fairly, taking into account all relevant factors, and we have spent the last five years refining our data-driven approach to pay.” 

“We have also put systems and processes in place over the last two years to not just grow diversity at The Post, but ensure we are fostering an equitable and inclusive workplace,” the spokesperson said. “We appreciate The Guild pointing out the progress we’ve made, and it remains an important priority.” 

The latest report follows a similar 2019 study commissioned by the Post’s union that found women of color in the newsroom receive $30,000 less than white men — a gap of 35 percent — when comparing median salaries.

— Updated at 1:09 p.m.