At NorthJersey.com, our commitment to diversity remains strong — Sforza

We've written stories about racial profiling on the New Jersey Turnpike. Stories that examine the North Jersey Asian community. And stories that celebrate the traditions of Middle Easterners living in New Jersey.

Those are just some of the stories we have written over the past months and year as we continue our focus on the diverse cultures that make up the tapestry of New Jersey.

It's a storytelling commitment that we take seriously and that infuses each of our coverage decisions.

Like the story on accessibility on miniature golf courses.

Or the one that examines whether abortion bans are like Sharia law.

And the story that looked at the effect of sensory rooms on children with autism.

For The Record and NorthJersey.com to succeed, we must have an inclusive and diverse workplace where employees are valued and feel empowered.

Although the labor market remains competitive, we are committed to building and sustaining a workforce that is reflective of the diversity in the communities we serve. As part of our commitment to an inclusive culture, we are annually publishing the makeup of our newsroom staff. That same commitment is being carried out across the USA TODAY Network, which is made up of more than 200 local publications and USA TODAY.

The information, a snapshot as of July 1, 2022, includes the gender and racial makeup of our news workforce and our coverage area, as well as for managers within our newsroom.

A diverse and inclusive workforce helps us better connect and serve you, our readers and our community partners.

The American Community Survey by the U.S. Census Bureau asks two separate questions, one about Hispanic origin and one about race, allowing individuals to self-select from multiple options. However, to compare with internal Gannett employee information that asks individuals to mark only one option, we used the following categories: Hispanic or Latino (for ACS, regardless of any other race selected), White (not Hispanic or Latino), Black or African American (not Hispanic or Latino), Asian (not Hispanic or Latino), American Indian or Alaska Native (not Hispanic or Latino), Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander (not Hispanic or Latino), or two or more races (not Hispanic or Latino). All information on racial identity is provided voluntarily by employees. Gannett also allows an individual not to disclose their race or ethnicity.

Daniel Sforza is the Executive Editor of The Record and NorthJersey.com. He can be reached at sforza@northjersey.com