The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) task force sent out The Emory Wheel’s fourth annual demographic survey at the end of January to better understand the extent of the Wheel’s inclusivity in coverage and within the newsroom. The survey asked contributors about their personal identities and experiences in the Wheel’s work environment. The DEI task force will discuss and implement initiatives to address inequalities in the Wheel based on the survey’s results, which are summarized below.
Methodology
The survey was emailed to the 176 students who contributed to the Wheel during the 2023 calendar year, marking the largest number of annual contributors since the Wheel started collecting demographic data in spring 2021. Of the 176 students, 89 responded, producing a 50.6% response rate, which is higher than last year’s 46.7% response rate. However, it is important to note that about 49.4% of students who qualified to take the survey, the majority of which were general staff members, did not complete the form, limiting the task force’s ability to ensure representative data.
All responses were kept anonymous and analyzed by DEI task force members. Editors made up the greatest portion of respondents at 38.2%, while staff members — students who produced five or more articles, photographs or illustrations — followed at 20.2%. Contributors who produced less than five pieces of work came in third at 16.9%.
Findings
The Wheel has continued to be disproportionately white, with 53.9% of respondents reporting as such this year. However, this is a slight decrease from previous years, 56.5% and 58% of respondents identifying their race as white in 2023 and 2022, respectively. Asian contributors continued to make up the second-largest demographic with 39.3% of respondents, which is an increase from 37.1% in 2023 and 34.3% in 2022. According to the Office of Planning and Administration, 34% of students identify as white, while 19.5% identify as Asian.
Additionally, the Wheel lacks Black and Latinx representation among contributors, with only 6.7% respondents identifying their race as Black, while another 5.6% of respondents indicated that they identify as Latinx in a separate question. This is an increase from 2023, when 3.2% of respondents identified as Black or African American and 1.6% identified as Latinx. Although this year still marked a slight increase from the 6% of respondents who identified as Black or African American in 2022, there was a decrease from the 8% of respondents who identified as Hispanic or Latin American that same year. According to the Office of Planning and Administration, 12.9% of students identify as Black or African American, while 9.7% identify as Hispanic/Latino.
No respondents identified as American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander.
Cisgender women continue to make up the majority of the Wheel’s contributors this year, with 69.7% of respondents identifying as such, marking a decrease from 78.7% in 2023 but a slight increase from 66.7% in2022. Another 22.5% of respondents identified as cisgender men. This represents an increase compared to 13.1% in 2023 but a decrease from 27% in2022. This is more skewed than Emory University’s gender breakdown, with 60.4% of enrolled students identifying as female and 39.6% identifying as male, according to the Office of Planning and Administration. Additionally, 4.5% of respondents identified as non-binary, which is consistent with 4.9% in 2023 and 4.5% in2022.
This year, 66.3% of respondents identified as heterosexual. This represents an increase from the 56.5% and 45% of respondents who reported the same in 2023 and 2022, respectively. Bisexual remained the second most common identity among contributors with 15.7% identifying as such, increasing from 14.5% in 2023 but decreasing from 17% in 2022. Queer individuals made up the third largest group this year at 6.7% — a decrease from 9.7% in 2023 and 17% in 2022 — while lesbian individuals followed at 5.6%.
Compared to 7.9% of respondents who identified as a first-generation student in 2023, 6.7% of respondents identified as first-generation this year, marking a 1.2% decrease. This aligns closely with the larger student population, with 7.4% of undergraduate students at Emory identifying as first-generation, according to the Office of Planning and Administration. Earlier demographic reports did not survey contributors on their first-generation status.
This year, 13.5% of respondents identified as low-income, compared to 11.1% in 2023 and 18% in 2022. This demonstrates a slight increase in the involvement of contributors who identify as low-income within the past year. However, the number of respondents who indicated that they receive need-based financial aid decreased from 22.2% in 2023 to 18% this year. This falls markedly below Emory’s overall student population, with the Office of Undergraduate Admission reporting that 46% of undergraduate students receive need-based or merit financial aid.
This year, the task force allowed respondents to fill in their own answers regarding where they reside. In total, 15.7% of respondents indicated they reside in a country other than the United States, the most frequent of which was China with 53.3% of international respondents. Other countries included India, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Rwanda and Nicaragua. This is a slight increase from 2023, when 14.3% of respondents identified as international students. In 2022, only 9% of respondents identified as such. According to the Office of Undergraduate Admission, 17.7% of students identify as international.
This year, 9% of respondents identified as disabled or are registered with the Department of Accessibility Services. This is a sharp decrease from the 2023 demographic report, which showed that 19.4% of respondents identified as disabled or were registered with the Department of Accessibility Services. Earlier demographic reports did not survey contributors on their disability status.
Wheel culture
Descriptions of the Wheel’s culture varied widely, with some contributors writing that they have found the organization to be a “welcoming,” “uplifting” and “empowering” environment where students can explore journalism at Emory. One contributor wrote that working with editors has “significantly improved” their writing.
Another respondent wrote that they have noticed an increase in friendships and connections between contributors at the Wheel this year, although others pointed out that they still believe the Wheel harbors a “cliquey,” “toxic” and “intense” environment. Several contributors wrote that some individuals take the Wheel too seriously, which can contribute to this environment.
One contributor noted that the Wheel is “accepting of all voices,” although others pointed out that the Board of Editors is “overwhelmingly white,” which can hinder sections’ ability to effectively report on minority issues. Several respondents noted that the Wheel lacks coverage about Black, Indigenous and Latinx communities. In terms of coverage, contributors also reported that the Wheel should dedicate more time to covering stories about international students, Oxford College, the local Atlanta community, arts on campus, professors and faculty members.
DEI efforts
The DEI task force strives to create an inclusive and non-hostile environment at the Wheel and equally represent the student body at Emory. Every semester based on the results of the demographic report survey, the task force reflects on areas of improvement to evaluate the effectiveness of past initiatives and develop new initiatives as needed.
It is important to note that the task force only consisted of two editors-in-chief, a managing editor and DEI editor at the beginning of the fall 2023 semester due to retention issues from the previous year, so the Wheel rebuilt the task force through recruitment. All six general body members of the task force are newly hired.
This semester, the task force has prioritized outreach to affinity groups and identity-based organizations, maintaining diverse coverage and increasing the accessibility of journalism involvement opportunities. For example, last semester, the task force helped organize a Q&A-style panel session with the Asian American Journalists Association that opened a discussion on journalism skills, career tips, networking opportunities and Asian American journalists’ experiences in the field. The Wheel is dedicated to supporting writers of all backgrounds in finding journalism opportunities.
The task force is working toward its goal of meeting with all of the organizations and affinity groups on campus. By connecting with these groups, the task force will ensure that the Wheel accurately represents them and stays updated on events or topics that reporters should cover. By frequently communicating with these groups, the Wheel can work toward coverage that better represents all of Emory.
Additionally, the task force plans to offer journalism opportunities and resources to these groups in hopes of encouraging members to contribute, especially if they previously did not know how to get involved with the Wheel. The task force hopes that by collaborating with organizations and affinity groups, the Wheel can have productive conversations and promote transparency based on their feedback.
The task force also organized a content tracker for the articles that each editorial section publishes in print beginning with the spring 2024 semester to foster cross-section communication and increase awareness on topics that are frequently covered or need increased coverage.
Lastly, the task force hosted several general body meetings with activities such as collage-making that were open to the Emory community, but received low turnout.
The task force will continue to work toward positive change by taking survey results into account and encourages all members of the community to ask questions as well as provide feedback or suggestions by contacting emorywheeldei@gmail.com.
Managing Editor Madi Olivier (25C), DEI Editor Emma Kingwell (26C) and DEI Task Force members Anika Hofmeister (27C), Wendy Pelayo (26C), Halle Wulff (24Ox) and Tiena Lim (24C) contributed to this report.
