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Where have you been?
By Mel Grau
In the past few months, I’ve had a few Cohort subscribers ask me why we haven’t been in their inboxes lately. The short answer is that we’ve been taking a break to reimagine the future of this newsletter and find funding for its next iteration. I think the true answer, for all of us, is more complicated.
Where have we been in the last year and half? Checked out, burned out, laid off, laid up, sidelined or sidetracked, work can feel like a muddled mess. It’s hard to clearly articulate how the pandemic, racial reckoning, and the democratic and climate crises have affected us.
So here we are, back in your inbox and with work to do. But first, we may have slipped from your inbox priority and over to promotions, or even worse — spam. Do us a solid and drag this email back to your inbox or save our address in your contacts. Okay, now that that's taken care of, here's what's been on our minds.
At the onset of the coronavirus pandemic — between February and April 2020 — 4.2 million American women dropped out of the labor force. One year later, according to the April 2021 jobs report ([link removed]) , nearly 2 million had not yet returned.
These trends trickle down to our industry. Poynter has tracked more than 70 newsrooms ([link removed]) that have closed due to the pandemic, and thousands ([link removed]) of lost jobs due to layoffs, furloughs and closures. Women ([link removed]) and women of color ([link removed]) , in particular, are bearing the brunt of burnout and making difficult caregiving calculations.
The women who remain in the workforce are navigating quickly changing environments, from a fresh need to demand structural change that better supports employees of color to managing remote or hybrid teams past the brink of mental and emotional distress.
I’ve heard from many of you that you need guidance charting unique career paths — including part-time, freelance, start-ups, union organizing and even caregiving. You need meaningful and practical advice as you lead your teams through financial, cultural and mental health crises at work. You need to connect with each other to foster collaboration, sponsorship and advancement.
I’m beyond excited to finally announce that Poynter is looking for a new writer and editor ([link removed]) to help The Cohort meet these needs and reclaim and reimagine women as leaders in media.
Many news organizations will “reopen” in fall 2021 as post-pandemic workplaces. The new host will help make sure women are leading the charge as journalism is remade and remodeled in the years to come. With support from me, Poynter faculty Samantha Ragland and others at Poynter, this new host will focus less on where we’ve been and more on where we’re going.
This is a 12-month contract. The host will be responsible for writing all content for the newsletter roughly two times a month for one year, for a total of 22 issues. I especially encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply. The deadline to be considered for this contract is July 30.
The new host must value equity, diversity, inclusion, collaboration, community, connection, kindness, growth and innovation. Bring your own flair, perspective and vision.
Whether you’re considering this opportunity ([link removed]) or another, here are some of my favorite pep talks from The Cohort’s archives to get you grooving:
• Reminders if you’re feeling overwhelmed or like a fraud ([link removed]) , by Poynter faculty Samantha Ragland
• An editor’s guide to creating an online portfolio ([link removed]) , by previous Cohort editor Rachel Schallom
• What to do when your career path is uncharted territory ([link removed]) , by Masuma Ahuja
Acknowledging where we’ve been and offering hope for a different future,
Mel
Mel Grau
Senior product specialist
The Poynter Institute
@Mel_Grau ([link removed])

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