In 2020, we set a goal of better reflecting Springfield's diversity. Here's where we are.

In 2020, our newsroom and others across the USA TODAY Network committed to improving the diversity of our workforce, with a goal of having our staff reflect the diversity in our community by 2025.

While we have more to do to be inclusive and representative in our coverage and staffing, I'm proud of the progress made in the past year.

More:Gannett newsrooms making steady progress in overall diversity

More:A diverse newsroom is essential for telling the story of the Ozarks. Here's our team.

When last we updated our newsroom census, in July 2021, the number of women in our newsroom had fallen precipitously. We gained back ground in that regard with a series of new hires.

Of the four reporters who joined the News-Leader in the past year, three are women, bringing female representation in the newsroom to 33%. In terms of race and ethnicity, the newsroom remains about 93% white, compared to about 86% in the Springfield metro.

Recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce remains a priority. Along with several fresh sets of eyes, our newest reporters bring varied backgrounds and life experiences to the newsroom. They've been in the vanguard of our efforts to reach out to and write about communities in Springfield and the surrounding area that in the past have been marginalized or overlooked.

We want the News-Leader to be an essential source of news for the dynamic, varied spectrum of folks who call the Ozarks home, regardless of race, gender, orientation, social background or any other factor. For that to happen, we need to make sure readers see themselves — their everyday lives, challenges and extraordinary accomplishments — reflected in the pages of the newspaper and on our website.

That work continues.

Amos Bridges is the News-Leader's editor-in-chief. He can be reached at 417-836-1170, abridges@news-leader.com or on Twitter @AmosBridgesNL.