The 19th’s Julia B. Chan on the power of collective action and group chats   Email not displaying correctly?
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I wrote in the last issue about the particular squeeze that women of color face when they step into leadership roles ([link removed]) . Not only are they middle managers who have to manage expectations from their managers and direct reports, but many of them also feel a responsibility not to reinforce the traditional power structures they spent their careers fighting against.
Early in my career, I thought I wanted the EIC job, the director-level titles, even VP status. I thought that if I got those jobs, I would finally have the power and authority to make the changes I wanted to see in the industry. But as I got older, I realized that the baby steps, the moderate stances, and the poker faces required for the jobs didn’t quite match my temperament.
As I worked on that story, I reflected on the feelings I’d had about women and women of color in leadership positions at past jobs. My frustration with them came from an impatience to see change now, to see a massive overhaul that aligned with my values. Where I’d once written them off as “The Man” and totally willing to uphold the status quo, now I wonder what they might have been fighting for behind the scenes.
I also realized that my expectation of leaders of color to enact massive, instant institutional change might actually be putting undue pressure on people who were likely doing their best to avoid the pet-to-threat ([link removed]) cycle. My expectations were so high for women of color, but what about my expectations of all the white men in leadership? Why was it so easy to let them off the hook?
So now, I question my impulse to condemn those working for incremental change as the enemies of progress. Their incremental steps and the consideration for office politics once felt like tools to uphold the status quo, but now I realize that many of us are on the same side. We’re just taking different approaches.
This week, The 19th’s editor-in-chief Julia B. Chan shares her response to the story and some of her best takeaways from being a woman of color in leadership.
LISTEN TO JULIA ([link removed])
READ TRANSCRIPT ([link removed])
Chan’s biggest pieces of advice for women of color in leadership:
Have ideas, not answers: Earlier in my career, it was easier to say or think things like why doesn't management just fill in the blank with some brilliant answer I dreamed up? And when you become that management, you learn about all the contours and considerations that exist that keep you from just doing a whole bunch of things. It's a harsh reminder that nobody has the answers, especially not in journalism.
What's helped me navigate this dynamic is to name this right off the bat and to talk openly about the ideas I — or we — have to attempt change. Try those ideas, iterate if they're working, stop them if they don't and communicate throughout the process. This kind of transparency is one way to help manage expectations, to mitigate the letdown.
Bring your team along: Something that I don't think happens very often in many newsrooms. Most of the time we're brought in at the end, when we learn about a decision, but communicating throughout the decision-making process is one way I like to champion ideas versus answers.
Leadership is lonely: The most supportive leadership situations I've had are ones where I've worked closely with other managers to navigate everything from breaking news to systematic change. What's most effective about this three- or four-legged stool is the way in which we were able to act as a team in order to push on change, evangelize ideas, or provide multiple touch points for staff. Having a united front with this small group also helped us to manage up. We were able to present a united front to those higher up, we were able to unlock resources like money or capacity. Our networks, cohorts and group DMs remain clutch when we need a sounding board, a pep talk or just a black hole to vent into, so keep those communities close.

Job Seeker Spotlight
In every other newsletter issue, I’m going to be highlighting someone who is looking for a journalism job. If you’d like to submit yourself to be featured, fill out this Google Form ([link removed]) !
This month’s featured job seeker is Alex Veeneman (he/him). He’s looking for full time, part time, freelance, remote work, hybrid, and on-site. He’s especially interested in public media and other reporting and editing roles.
[link removed] Alex Veeneman (he/him)
Here’s what he had to say:


I’m one of the more than 10 million millennials in the United States who is a caregiver ([link removed]) . I’m a caregiver to my mom, who has Meniere’s Disease ([link removed]) , a condition of the vestibular system which impacts 615,000 Americans and 45,500 people are newly diagnosed with it each year ([link removed]) . While I’m grateful that it’s not life-threatening, it does impact one’s quality of life. Symptoms include vertigo, tinnitus, hearing loss and feeling like the ear is full. Stress exacerbates these symptoms.
My mom, herself a journalism graduate who raised my sister and me as a single parent, has spent her career helping to propel others forward in their lives. Having seen the work she has done firsthand, a desire to do meaningful work that benefits everyone was apparent. Indeed, when I was in high school recovering from a health problem, I got curious about journalism after listening to NPR, CBC and BBC broadcasts while suffering from insomnia. After finding comfort from those broadcasts, and some voracious reading of newspapers (something my mom also did), I knew I wanted to pursue journalism as a career.
Since graduating, I have done freelance and volunteer work in journalism. However, I have not been able to obtain stable work, despite all of my efforts. I have also never had the opportunity to work in a traditional newsroom setting. Recently, it has bothered me greatly to see my mom suffer from worsening Meniere’s episodes. It has also bothered me that I have been unable to make her proud of the work that I have done. I have been looking inside and outside of journalism, as well as looking at going back to school. I would love the opportunity to be able to not only continue the work as set by my core values, but know that the work I’m doing can do the most good.

Here are some of Alex’s recent clips:
• Quill: Accident brings attention to safety of lone journalists in the field ([link removed])
• TPT Originals: A Global Network of Pen Pals Creates Connection During the Pandemic ([link removed])
• Rewire: Are New York Times Book Reviews Fair? ([link removed])
Get in touch with Alex on LinkedIn ([link removed]) , Twitter ([link removed]) or via email (mailto:[email protected]) .

Alex Sujong Laughlin
Host, The Cohort
@alexlaughs ([link removed])

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