Let's try this again: Candidates and their qualifications...

[CopyGK]

I apologize for any harsh tone my previous post may have had, it wasn't intended that way. I am new to the message board concept. This is my question:

As an industry, many people feel it is important to reflect our readers in the newsroom -- having different races, sexes, backgrounds, etc., represented. And I agree -- we should represent our readers, communities, etc. But at what point does it become more important to have diversity in the newsroom than hiring the most qualified candidate?

I know some companies offer their papers a bonus if they hire a candidate of color, so, especially in Sports, which traditionally has been a white-middle-aged-male field (but is evolving), does it ever worry people that a hire is being made for reasons other than the paper's bottom line? And I am not specifically speaking about race, it's also an age issue, gender issue, etc. There are good and bad journalists of all races, ages, genders, etc., but at what point does an "advantage" become a "disadvantage"?

 

[Clerk Typist]

Diversity and the lack thereof

Responding to CopyGK's threads:

Some newsrooms are interested in diversity for diversity's sake -- i.e., the team picture -- rather than what any individual might bring, in comparison to the other individuals up for the same job. Does it balance out? I dunno. But print still isn't as deliberately diverse as broadcast, where it's an unwritten rule that the 6 and 11 news teams have to look white-black-female-Hispanic. The best hire in a TV newsroom is a Hispanic-surnamed black women, because she covers three categories. Check your local listings for examples.

And to the owners of this circus: If this isn't a reasonable topic for the Journalism board, then there are none.

 

[Piotr Rasputin]

Re: Diversity and the lack thereof

It's a reasonable topic when not broached by a dude who clearly got passed over for a job and wanted to **** and moan about it.

 

[pallister]

You are a glutton for punishment. There are some issues people don't want t debate, regardless of the merits. Much name-calling is in your future. Welcme to SportsJournalists.com.

If you want to make quick friends around here, start a thread saying George Bush sucks.

 

[Moderator1]

Idaho, this one is all yours my partner and pal. I am in three different cities tomorrow so I must get some sleep.

 

[thegrifter]

is it me, or does CG still sound bitter?

 

[sportschick]

Pallister, I don't even like the "George Bush sucks" threads anymore, and I'm left of Fenian.

Somebody obviously got passed over for a job by a female or minority and is trying to make himself feel better by claiming women and minorities are unqualified.

 

[MU_was_not_so_hard]

It's a legitimate curiosity.
I know of editors who have regretted hiring a minority because they have been told from above to make certain quotas.
However, I know of certain editors who have been miserable because of hiring some white male. It doesn't matter. There are good journalists and bad journalists.
But you're also looking at being "qualified" as being the best possible candidate because of what someone has done at another shop. I can tell you that my last job suffered because we had nothing but white males making every decision 99 percent of the time. Having that narrow of a staff affects readers much more than damn near anything else. It constricts the types of stories that are worked on, and it affects PR with the community.

 

[pallister]

I know, SC. I'm just having a little fun with the fact that not even 10 posts in, this guy's already been marked.


There can't be much room to the left of Fenian, but you're small enough I guess.

 

[dooley_womack1]

Responding to CopyGK's threads:

Some newsrooms are interested in diversity for diversity's sake -- i.e., the team picture -- rather than what any individual might bring, in comparison to the other individuals up for the same job. Does it balance out? I dunno. But print still isn't as deliberately diverse as broadcast, where it's an unwritten rule that the 6 and 11 news teams have to look white-black-female-Hispanic. The best hire in a TV newsroom is a Hispanic-surnamed black women, because she covers three categories. Check your local listings for examples.

And to the owners of this circus: If this isn't a reasonable topic for the Journalism board, then there are none.

Well, this one has been done to death, and these threads always start with the premise of "minorities and women are taking jobs from white males," with the implication always being clear that the minorities and women are not nearly as qualified as the white male. So, yeah, I don't blame the moderators for having some trepidation about allowing this dead horse to be flogged some more.

 

[CopyGK]

MU, thank you, I really appreciate your perspective.

 

[thegrifter]

I'm wondering which job CG got passed over for. Shouldn't be too hard to figure out considering the limited number of minority and women hirings in the last two months.

 

[CopyGK]

Actually I haven't applied for a new job in several years, but with the market in my area being the way it is, I am considering it, and where I am looking is a paper known for actively trying to promote and get diversity in its newsroom.

 

[Idaho]

This worst hire I ever made as an SE was a white male. He was a bitter, whiney, self-entitled bully. A drunk and a drug user, too. He had good clips and a lot of experience, though. I wish, at that time, I had a quota placed on me.

 

[ballscribe]

From his original post, I got the impression that his newspaper made some sort of minority hire that CopyGK (I'm assuming this is short for Copy Geek) felt wasn't up to snuff, probably because CopyGK had just spent the last half-hour re-writing or otherwise resurrecting some total piece of crap that made no sense grammatically or thematically.

Go back and look at it again and see if I make sense.

Am I close?

Love,
A (by your definition) minority hire who can actually write in complete sentences and have the occasional coherent thought.

 

[User 1019]

I was, IMHO, passed over for a job that was given to a minority female for less than professional reasons. I feel -- and so do others -- I was better for the job than she. I hesitantly took the assistant job, and it was a nightmare from the beginning; I should've politely declined, though I don't think that would've helped very much, either.

She got her chance, wrapped the rope firmly around her neck and jumped off the copy desk. Now, neither of us are there, and leaving was the second best decision I've ever made.

Although I still hang around the shop, I am extremely bitter at those who made the decision and am currently doing everything I possibly can to thumb my nose in their faces. The final blow in my personal battle will be landed next month, and I'll be sure to let you guys know how it works out.

Sorry for the rant, but that's been on my chest for over a year.

Out.

 

[CopyGK]

Idaho, I appreciate your comment, too. As I said, I wasn't talking about race specifically... maybe that candidate had a ton of experience being of a certain age, etc., and it turned out to be not worth it (for you, given what you said about the person.) I feel people shouldn't be passed over, in general, just because they're younger/older, of a certain race/gender, etc.

 

[RedSmithClone]

Somebody obviously got passed over for a job by a female or minority and is trying to make himself feel better by claiming women and minorities are unqualified.

That is not necessarily true. I don't know his situation, but I have seen and been part of the hiring process where we were asked to A.K.A. told to find a minority candidate that would automatically be a finalist and most likely the hire. There were two other candidates better qualified and when the decision was being made I got up and left the room because it went against all I believe in.

Now don't get me wrong. I think a lot of the women in this business are here because they deserve to be and are hard-working journalists. Same with any other minority. But this is a topic that has to be looked at in a case-by-case basis, and the minority is not always hired because they deserve it or are better.

And while we are on this topic, how close are we as a country to considering that middle-aged white man the minority? Just wondering?

 

[PeteyPirate]

We're not close.

 

[RedSmithClone]

Thanks for clarifying that Pirate