On My Mind: What equity, diversity and inclusion success looks like

Colleagues: 

I’m adding my pronouns to my email signature line and professional social media profiles. Although I have always presented as a male and felt like a male, I am adding “he/him” as a signal to others that we work at a company where everyone is accepted for who they are. 

 My decision to do this isn’t a political statement nor about appearing enlightened. It’s a decision 100% about our people. I came to really understand all of this after I heard what happened at our television station WKBW in Buffalo.

August Erbacher had been living a double life.

 At work, as WKBW’s digital director, August went by a different name and presented as the gender he was assigned at birth, which was female.

At home and in his personal life, he was August – a person with a transmasculine gender identity who uses the pronouns “he” or “they” interchangeably.

When August and I spoke by phone last week, he told me that he had wanted to reconcile his two identities and become August at work, but he was understandably nervous about how he might be treated. While he knew he had allies among his colleagues, he had been looking for signs that he would be fully supported at work. 

Meanwhile, WKBW General Manager Marc Jaromin had gone through Scripps’ Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) educational session on the LGBTQIA community. What Marc learned inspired him to think more about how he could make his station an environment where everyone was comfortable being their authentic selves. Among other things, Marc added his preferred pronouns (he/him) to his email signature line. 

Marc’s small gesture held great meaning to August, who saw the change as a signal that WKBW could be a safe space for him to present as he feels. Now he comes to work as August.

I’ve heard several other similar stories across the company. This is what success looks like with the execution of our EDI strategy. We are cultivating an environment where we can attract and keep all kinds of people because we know that having a diverse workforce ensures we’ll have the right people around the table to drive our company forward, from the boardroom to the newsroom. And I’m proud to see us making real progress.

Beginning Monday, June 14, you’re invited to Scripps’ first-ever Diversity Symposium, a multiday virtual event designed for you to dip in and out of the programming as your interests and schedules allow. The EDI team has pulled together an incredible agenda of compelling topics with world-renowned speakers. Find the link to sign up for sessions on WorkLife because space is limited. We’ll also make sure the sessions are all recorded and available to watch at a later time of your convenience.  

Adam Symson (he/him) 

President and CEO