POLITICO Paybook: Union pay study finds newsroom inequity

Washington, D.C. — On Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022, the POLITICO and E&E News Guild released “POLITICO Paybook.” The union’s newsroom pay study found chronic inequity among the journalists at this company — and doubles as an homage to our signature product, Playbook.

Using salary and demographic data shared by the company, PEN Guild’s data analysis found that journalists of color and women and nonbinary staff on average make significantly less than their white male colleagues.

Here are some topline statistics:

— On average, Black employees make 78 cents for every dollar earned by white staff. That figure is 80 cents for Asian staff and 81 cents for Latino employees.

— Women and nonbinary staff make 93 cents on the dollar compared to male colleagues.

— Pro reporters who staff POLITICO's policy verticals make 78 cents on the dollar compared to main site staff. For E&E News, that figure is 85 cents.

Read more in POLITICO Paybook:

PEN Guild in May proposed a fair pay structure that would significantly reduce these pay gaps and make it easier to attract and maintain a diverse newsroom. Management so far has declined to share its counter-proposal after six months at the bargaining table.

Two weeks ago, 166 employees sent newsroom-wide emails asking management to bring their proposal to the table and begin bargaining in good faith for fair pay.

Contact: 

Politicoeenewsguild@gmail.com