How the Erie Times-News is progressing in our goal to diversify our newsroom and work

There's more to the journalists at the Erie Times-News newsroom than the bylines suggest.

You'll find spouses or partners, and those who are single or engaged. Parents. Neighbors. Volunteers. Many faiths and political views. Addresses not just throughout the city and county, but across multiple counties in Pennsylvania and Ohio. We span the Baby Boom to Gen Z, digital natives to digital converts. Bikers and world travelers, readers and walkers, wing connoisseurs and winery visitors.

More:Gannett newsrooms making steady progress in overall diversity

The list goes on, but the point is the same for each: We can't leave our lives at the door. We'd do ourselves and our community a disservice if we were to try. We knowingly bring our lives to work.

In the mix as a result are the highlights of the conversations we had at the weekend picnic, at the game or in line at the store, the worries shared over coffee, the joys and outrages offered up in small circles over social media or text. Ideas for reporting are born in those moments. They're the better ideas because they don't spring from a dataset or news conference or event; they're brought to light by the people in the communities we serve and where we live.

We know that diversity of experience matters in our work. We also know it's no substitute for the true diversity of our newsroom.

We believe the staff of the Times-News should represent the makeup of the community. It's a commitment we share with our partners across the USA TODAY Network, which is made up of more than 200 local publications and USA TODAY. Starting in 2020, we committed to showing our progress to the community. 

2021:Our goal for Erie Times-News newsroom diversity is a work in progress

This week, the USA TODAY Network published its annual national report that shows our shared progress. It's an opportunity to update you on how the Times-News is doing as well.

The release of the 2020 U.S. Census data gives us a new snapshot of the diversity of the Erie region. The market area includes not only Erie but also its surrounding counties in three states.

That market area is 87.9% white, 4.5% Black, 2.5% Hispanic or Latino and 1.5% Asian. The Times-News newsroom of 22 was through the end of June constituted of employees who are 81% white, 4.8% Black, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino and 9.5% Asian.

Two of the five leadership positions are held by news director Melissa Lee and editor of opinion and engagement Lisa Thompson Sayers. A fifth position, sports editor, is open at the moment and will tilt the percentage when a hire is made.

We look more like our community today than when we made our commitment two years ago in most places, with one major exception, employment by gender. Just 28.6% of Times-News journalists are women. That's better than either of the past two years but only marginally.

Marginal improvements aren't enough. We'll recruit, hire and promote talented journalists to reach parity with our community by 2025.

We owe it to you to take not just our lives to work, but also to better understand yours, as a measure of all the richness that exists in the places we live.

Matt Martin is the executive editor of the Erie Times-News and the USA Today Network's Western Pennsylvania Region. He can be reached at mmartin@timesnews.com. Thank you for supporting local journalism with your subscription.