As Glenn Proctor reflected on the industry he spent 40 years in before his June 1 retirement as The Richmond Times-Dispatch’s editor, he took a pragmatic view. All journalists, including minority journalists, will have to be more versatile and willing to change jobs multiple times during a career, he said. And journalism associations will have to take the lead in helping online-only outlets understand the importance of diverse hiring.
A former Marine known for his “hard-ass” leadership style and his role as an advocate for newsroom diversity, Proctor is the first African American to serve as the Times-Dispatch’s top editor.
In the edited email exchange below, Proctor reflected on the state of diversity and diverse leadership in the changing news industry.
Angie Chuang: The latest ASNE census shows that even though the overall numbers of journalists increased, the numbers of minorities decreased slightly. What have you observed during your own career about journalists of color going into and leaving the profession?
Glenn Proctor: The industry has always been fluid, so the flow of journalists in and out of the business was never unusual. But in earlier times, we had more jobs available, so journalists of all colors could find opportunities. Now, of course, those jobs have dried up. So with overall numbers, it’s not unrealistic that minority numbers are also down.
The same report also shows that the proportion of minority supervisors in newsrooms remained the same, at 11 percent. From your experience, what is the state of diversity in newsroom leadership, particularly at the top levels?
Proctor: It’s good that the numbers remained the same. However, when jobs are eliminated or top level editors leave for other opportunities or retire, many times the positions are not replaced. And, of course, losing a minority and replacing them with another minority is not routine these days.
What are your thoughts on the recent NABJ-Unity split? How might it affect some of the diversity goals we’ve been talking about?
I think it was a bad idea, but each of the associations has to make decisions on behalf of its membership. I don’t think it will affect diversity goals at all because hiring is done on an individual basis and not according to specific goals from any organization.
Recently, online-only organizations such as The Huffington Post, and conferences such as News Foo and Online News Association, have been criticized for their lack of diversity. Do you see barriers or disadvantages to minority journalists getting involved in the online/new-media world? If so, how can these be resolved?
Proctor: As it has been with print journalists for decades, being prepared is the key. My advice: Minority students must learn new media skills at the high school and in undergraduate programs, so they are prepared when internships and opportunities arise.
Also, because the online-only organizations were not part of the industry’s long-standing conversations and establishment of diversity goals and numbers tracking in the early days, it’s not a top-of-mind thing with them. Which means the journalism associations — especially the top editor and publisher-level associations, as well as those for journalists — must be proactive in helping the online organizations understand the importance of diversity, especially diversity hiring.
The journalism associations will have to meet with the online organizations and have frank discussions about diversity. As it has been discussed and proven over recent decades, diversity in staffing and coverage is sound business practice and can effect audience growth and revenue growth. That’s why it’s important for all media and information companies.
You have mentored countless young journalists of color for decades, and do a remarkable job keeping in touch with them. Can you discern any trends from the trajectories of their careers? Are young journalists different today than when you first started mentoring?
Proctor: No, not at all. All of them are hungry to become good journalists, but like many of their peers of all races, they have left the business following economic situations and layoffs. Even with some of my strongest urging, some of them have left the field. They have seen drastic changes and did not see long futures in it.
Are there lessons or insights from your own career trajectory, particularly as one of few minority top editors of a mainstream daily newspaper, regarding the challenges of diversifying newsroom leadership?
Proctor: The lesson is simple: Diverse newsrooms are necessary for all the obvious reasons. But editors and publishers sometimes need to be pushed to find and hire diverse candidates. But because editors must fill jobs in a quick time frame, they don’t expand the pool of candidates to include people of color.
Now that you are in your final months of your newspaper career, what does that career look like in retrospect? Could the 20-something Glenn Proctor who started in this industry still find a long and satisfying career in today’s news landscape?
Proctor: Over 40 years, I have worked with some of America’s finest journalists and editors. For that, I will be forever grateful. And, I was able to reach all my goals, capping my career as the top editor in Richmond. Even with technological and economic changes, journalism is still a viable career choice. Though, future professionals must understand that to be successful, they must become one-stop journalists — writers, photographers, videographers social media specialists — as well as entrepreneurial thinkers and potential revenue generators.
Also, they most likely will not be able to remain with one company or employer for an extensive period of time. Even though opportunities at traditional outlets have dwindled because of downsizing, the new media firms are more fast-paced and the loyalty factor is not as important as it once was. When the best opportunities arise, folks will jump to new opportunities, much more than in years past.
What’s next for you?
Proctor: Doing some training and coaching. And maybe some teaching.
