{"id":60,"date":"2024-04-18T17:49:56","date_gmt":"2024-04-18T17:49:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/journalism-mothers-caregivers\/?page_id=60"},"modified":"2024-04-25T03:09:21","modified_gmt":"2024-04-25T03:09:21","slug":"what-are-the-solutions-people-told-me","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/journalism-mothers-caregivers\/what-are-the-solutions-people-told-me\/","title":{"rendered":"What are the solutions?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
A group of female journalists listen to a speaker at the opening reception of JAWS CAMP in the Chicago Sun-Times newsroom on Navy Pier in Chicago, Ill. on Oct. 13, 2023. \/ Photo by Madeline Papcun, UConn Journalism<\/p>\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/journalism-mothers-caregivers\/files\/2024\/04\/IMG_1149-2-1024x683.jpg\" src=\"http:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/journalism-mothers-caregivers\/files\/2024\/04\/IMG_1149-2-1024x683.jpg\" alt class=\"wp-image-99\" srcset=\"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/journalism-mothers-caregivers\/files\/2024\/04\/IMG_1149-2-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/journalism-mothers-caregivers\/files\/2024\/04\/IMG_1149-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/journalism-mothers-caregivers\/files\/2024\/04\/IMG_1149-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/journalism-mothers-caregivers\/files\/2024\/04\/IMG_1149-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/journalism-mothers-caregivers\/files\/2024\/04\/IMG_1149-2-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/journalism-mothers-caregivers\/files\/2024\/04\/IMG_1149-2-1080x720.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\">
A group of women jour\u00adnal\u00adists lis\u00adten to a speak\u00ader at the open\u00ading recep\u00adtion of JAWS CAMP in the Chica\u00adgo Sun-Times news\u00adroom on Navy Pier in Chica\u00adgo, Ill. on Oct. 13, 2023. Pho\u00adto by Made\u00adline Pap\u00adcun<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

By Made\u00adline Pap\u00adcun<\/a> | UConn Jour\u00adnal\u00adism
April 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All sources for this project were asked what changes need to hap\u00adpen in news indus\u00adtry to retain moth\u00aders and care\u00adgivers as jour\u00adnal\u00adists. Here are some of the solu\u00adtions they shared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Freelancing and independent journalism<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Kather\u00adine Reynolds Lewis, an inde\u00adpen\u00addent jour\u00adnal\u00adist and co-founder of the Insti\u00adtute for Inde\u00adpen\u00addent Jour\u00adnal\u00adists, and Kather\u00adine Gold\u00adstein, a dig\u00adi\u00adtal jour\u00adnal\u00adist and con\u00adsul\u00adtant, attrib\u00aduted much of their recent suc\u00adcess in bal\u00adanc\u00ading moth\u00ader\u00adhood and jour\u00adnal\u00adism with being free\u00adlancers and work\u00ading for them\u00adselves. As Lewis not\u00aded, being able to decide one\u2019s pri\u00ador\u00adi\u00adties based on what is at hand that day \u2014 whether it be mak\u00ading it to child care pick up or com\u00adplet\u00ading that one last inter\u00adview for a sto\u00adry \u2014 makes the day-to-day just that much eas\u00adi\u00ader. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Gold\u00adstein explained, hav\u00ading been free\u00adlance for the last few years, going back to work\u00ading for some\u00adone else and fol\u00adlow\u00ading some\u00adone else\u2019s sched\u00adule would be \u201cso impos\u00adsi\u00adble\u201d nowa\u00addays. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How\u00adev\u00ader, free\u00adlance doesn\u2019t solve the issue of pay that can also make jour\u00adnal\u00adism and care\u00adgiv\u00ading tough to bal\u00adance.

\u201cI mean, I\u2019ve nev\u00ader made as much mon\u00adey as I did at that last job,\u201d Gold\u00adstein not\u00aded, chuck\u00adling. \u201cThat\u2019s the real\u00adi\u00adty.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Enterprise reporting<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
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Illus\u00adtra\u00adtion by Haleigh Schmidt<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Lewis also prefers the enter\u00adprise report\u00ading that is eas\u00adi\u00ader to come by as a free\u00adlance reporter, both for per\u00adson\u00adal ful\u00adfill\u00adment with her work and for sched\u00adul\u00ading pur\u00adpos\u00ades \u2014 not being in break\u00ading news was a \u201creal\u00adly great fit\u201d to also allow for the demands of moth\u00ader\u00adhood. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jacque\u00adline Rabe Thomas, an inves\u00adtiga\u00adtive reporter at Hearst Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut Media Group, not\u00aded that bal\u00adanc\u00ading the needs of her kids and the needs of her report\u00ading got a lot eas\u00adi\u00ader when she was able to stop focus\u00ading on the \u201cquick-hit\u201d sto\u00adries and \u201cnews of the day,\u201d or in oth\u00ader words, \u201cthings that aren\u2019t going to mat\u00adter tomor\u00adrow.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Relying on personal networks <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Angela Greil\u00ading Keane, pres\u00adi\u00addent of JAWS and news direc\u00adtor at Bloomberg Gov\u00adern\u00adment, said that she was able to bal\u00adance child care and being a reporter when her daugh\u00adter was younger through rely\u00ading on her friends in sim\u00adi\u00adlar sit\u00adu\u00ada\u00adtions for last-minute child care, as her par\u00adents and in-laws were too far away. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLiv\u00ading in DC, I had lots of friends with impor\u00adtant jobs too, so there was a net\u00adwork where we had each oth\u00ader down as emer\u00adgency con\u00adtacts,\u201d she said.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And when there real\u00adly wasn\u2019t any\u00adone else when a last minute inter\u00adview, press con\u00adfer\u00adence or meet\u00ading popped up, she would just \u201cbring her kid along.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Newsroom redesigns <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Christy DeSmith, author of the Poyn\u00adter piece that sparked this report\u00ading project, not\u00aded that there are news\u00adroom changes that could ben\u00ade\u00adfit care\u00adgivers work\u00ading in jour\u00adnal\u00adism as well. For starters, hav\u00ading shifts and a \u201cfunc\u00adtion\u00ading night desk\u201d along with ear\u00adli\u00ader dead\u00adlines makes it eas\u00adi\u00ader to \u201cturn off\u201d from work at the end of the day, and just focus on care\u00adgiv\u00ading. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fur\u00adther\u00admore, a redesign to the idea of what the role of an edi\u00adtor is would also ben\u00ade\u00adfit par\u00adents. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe \u2018Catch\u00ader in the Rye\u2019 idea is too much,\u201d DeSmith said, not\u00ading that edi\u00adtors can\u00adnot be expect\u00aded to do every\u00adthing when also ful\u00adfill\u00ading oblig\u00ada\u00adtions out\u00adside of the news\u00adroom. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Addi\u00adtion\u00adal\u00adly, DeSmith believes it would ben\u00ade\u00adfit care\u00adgivers to \u201cinclude men\u00adtor\u00adship of young writ\u00aders in job descrip\u00adtions, rather than leav\u00ading it to the whims of a news\u00adroom.\u201d In  her expe\u00adri\u00adences, women are either assigned or pres\u00adsured into the job of edit\u00ading, train\u00ading and men\u00adtor\u00ading young writ\u00aders. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis can be huge\u00adly reward\u00ading work, but it\u2019s also time con\u00adsum\u00ading \u2014 and it has nev\u00ader, in my expe\u00adri\u00adence, been includ\u00aded in job descrip\u00adtions,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This \u201cinvis\u00adi\u00adble and unre\u00adward\u00aded work\u201d is nec\u00ades\u00adsary, but often falls to women with care\u00adgiv\u00ading respon\u00adsi\u00adbil\u00adi\u00adties on top of their own job require\u00adments to main\u00adtain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNev\u00ader did a senior edi\u00adtor praise me for the work I did with young writ\u00aders,\u201d DeSmith added. \u201cHow\u00adev\u00ader, I\u2019ve had count\u00adless young writ\u00aders reach out to me to express their grat\u00adi\u00adtude.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paid parental and maternity leave, child care<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are some indus\u00adtry-wide fix\u00ades that would ease the bur\u00adden on moth\u00aders and care\u00adgivers in jour\u00adnal\u00adism as well. Thomas also not\u00aded that her cur\u00adrent news\u00adroom offers two ben\u00ade\u00adfits for its work\u00ading par\u00adents that she takes advan\u00adtage of \u2014 in addi\u00adtion to a good mater\u00adni\u00adty leave pro\u00adgram. There is \u201ca gen\u00ader\u00adous dona\u00adtion to that account and [she] can con\u00adtribute,\u201d pre-taxed, and also a \u201cgen\u00ader\u00adous month\u00adly reim\u00adburse\u00adment pro\u00adgram as well,\u201d for child\u00adcare costs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

All in all, these two pro\u00adgrams togeth\u00ader cov\u00ader about half of Thomas\u2019 infant\u2019s day care costs. How\u00adev\u00ader, she has two oth\u00ader school-aged chil\u00addren that she and her hus\u00adband must pay after\u00adcare for. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regard\u00ading the ben\u00ade\u00adfit pro\u00adgrams, she said, \u201cThat\u2019s gonna keep me!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To Thomas, a com\u00adpa\u00adny pol\u00adi\u00adcy that pays for sum\u00admer camps or oth\u00ader child care ser\u00advices is dif\u00adfer\u00adent from just increas\u00ading pay to accom\u00admo\u00addate child\u00adcare costs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s mak\u00ading a state\u00adment that they pri\u00ador\u00adi\u00adtize moth\u00aders, fathers and par\u00adents.\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Greil\u00ading Keane not\u00aded a change in parental leave poli\u00adcies would have helped at the time when her daugh\u00adter was born as well. When she became a moth\u00ader, she got six weeks paid when daugh\u00adter was born and then chose to take six unpaid weeks as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is in line with the fed\u00ader\u00adal Fam\u00adi\u00adly and Med\u00adical Leave Act<\/a>, which pro\u00advides cer\u00adtain employ\u00adees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-pro\u00adtect\u00aded leave per year and requires that their group health ben\u00ade\u00adfits be main\u00adtained dur\u00ading the leave. (Though state laws for parental leave may dif\u00adfer, they are in addi\u00adtion to FMLA.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under FMLA, employ\u00adees can take this leave for lim\u00adit\u00aded rea\u00adsons, includ\u00ading the birth and care of the new\u00adborn child of an employ\u00adee, place\u00adment with the employ\u00adee of a child for adop\u00adtion or fos\u00adter care, to care for an imme\u00addi\u00adate fam\u00adi\u00adly mem\u00adber (i.e., spouse, child, or par\u00adent) with a seri\u00adous health con\u00addi\u00adtion, or to take med\u00adical leave when the employ\u00adee is unable to work because of a seri\u00adous health con\u00addi\u00adtion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Employ\u00adees are only eli\u00adgi\u00adble for leave if they have worked for their employ\u00ader at least 12 months, at least 1,250 hours over the past 12 months, and work at a loca\u00adtion where the com\u00adpa\u00adny employs 50 or more employ\u00adees with\u00adin 75 miles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Years lat\u00ader and work\u00ading at a dif\u00adfer\u00adent news\u00adroom, com\u00adpa\u00adny poli\u00adcies allow for six months paid parental leave. Greil\u00ading Keane appre\u00adci\u00adates see\u00ading the change now, even though it was not an option avail\u00adable to her when her daugh\u00adter was born.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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NEXT: An Exam\u00adple News\u00adroom<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Made\u00adline Pap\u00adcun | UConn Jour\u00adnal\u00adismApril 2024 All sources for this project were asked what changes need to hap\u00adpen in news indus\u00adtry to retain moth\u00aders and care\u00adgivers as jour\u00adnal\u00adists. Here are some of the solu\u00adtions they shared. Free\u00adlanc\u00ading and inde\u00adpen\u00addent jour\u00adnal\u00adism Kather\u00adine Reynolds Lewis, an inde\u00adpen\u00addent jour\u00adnal\u00adist and co-founder of the Insti\u00adtute for Inde\u00adpen\u00addent Jour\u00adnal\u00adists,\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":908,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-60","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/journalism-mothers-caregivers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/60","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/journalism-mothers-caregivers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/journalism-mothers-caregivers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/journalism-mothers-caregivers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/908"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/journalism-mothers-caregivers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=60"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/journalism-mothers-caregivers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/60\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":218,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/journalism-mothers-caregivers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/60\/revisions\/218"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/journalism-mothers-caregivers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}