Dear Reader,

At The Fordham Observer, our primary mission is to uplift and platform the voices of undergraduate students at Fordham. As part of that goal, we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive community within our organization and across the university as a whole. 

Today, we are releasing the second annual Staff Diversity Report in an effort to maintain transparency and accountability. In the words of our predecessors, we hold that “it is only by acknowledging where we are that we can take steps to get to where we need to be.” 

In this report, you will find a transparent examination of the diversity of our editorial board (e-board) — analyzed along lines of ethnicity, sexuality, financial need and other factors — as well as a reflection on our efforts to move toward a more equitable newsroom and newspaper. We use Fordham’s undergraduate demographic data in order to determine how closely The Observer represents the university community.

One of the most glaring disparities in the makeup of The Observer staff in the 2022-2023 school year is that Latin American and Hispanic students are underrepresented when compared to Fordham’s undergraduate population. In contrast, students of Asian descent are overrepresented.

In the past year, our first and founding adviser, Elizabeth Stone, announced the Many Voices award which offers young Observer journalists the opportunity to receive funds for their efforts at The Observer. This award was developed for historically underrepresented students in an effort to promote diversity. The first prize will be given out in spring 2023. Additionally, The Observer announced the first annual Observer’s Scholarship in March 2022, with the first one being awarded this fall. The goal of this scholarship is to provide a form of compensation for members of our contributors and build the foundation for The Observer to be an accessible platform for all students.

Our efforts are ongoing, and by releasing this report, we aim to track our progress on an annual basis because diversity, equity and inclusion are an integral part of The Observer’s mission. Thank you for reading.

Sincerely,                                             

Editor-in-Chief | Allie Stofer

Managing Editor | Maddie Sandholm

Online Editors | Emily Ellis and Kreena Vora

Creative Director | Alexa Stegmuller