By Serena Edwards
Journalism has defined the way we receive our news and who we trust to deliver it. In a male-dominated field, it’s easy to overlook the impact of women in journalism, especially Black women. In current times, it is important to pay attention to Black women because they are essential pieces in history. Black women journalists like Ida B. Wells, Joy-Ann Reid, and Ethel L. Payne have shaped the way I approach the journalism field.
Ida B. Wells
Ida B. Wells is a catalyst for Black women in journalism by discussing and investigating controversial topics like lynching during the Jim Crow era. Wells was born in 1862 in Mississippi during a time when slavery was close to being abolished and lived when Jim Crow laws would soon come into effect. She used journalism to advocate for women’s suffrage and civil rights. Wells’ experiences from childhood are rooted in her activism. She also investigated lynching and racial inequity within the South. After her friend was lynched in 1892, she took it upon herself to investigate this more. Wells reported the truth, fact-checking and providing first-hand information from the actual scene. Through her investigations, Wells was able to expose the wrongful lynching of Black men. The methods Wells used when investigating these violations of rights are still integrated into investigative journalism today.
Wells also co-founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), an organization known for its strong roots within the Civil Rights movement and its continued impact on modern-day society. During the time Wells was alive, being a Black female journalist was unheard of and very dangerous. Wells’ journalism and advocacy came with the risk of safety. Wells received death threats from people who opposed her journalistic skills. Her determination and perseverance inspire me as a journalist.
Joy-Ann Reid
Joy-Ann Reid was born in Brooklyn, NY, and is a Harvard University alumna. Reid’s career started with her website “The Reid Report” and later expanded to a political commentator on MSNBC.
When I first knew I wanted to be a journalist, it was because of Joy-Ann Reid. I first saw her show that aired on MSNBC named “AM Joy”. Watching Reid connect Black history to current news fascinated me. For the first time, I felt like Black women were able to have the freedom to talk about politics. Reid’s growth was a major boost for many other Black women in the media. In 2020, she went from weekend television to prime-time television and had her show “The Reid Out” air on Mondays at 7 p.m. What made Reid different from others in the field was her unapologetic attitude when it came to her opinions. Being a Black woman in America means having to constantly walk on eggshells when speaking about taboo topics. Black women are constantly portrayed as aggressors because of the color of our skin, and any passion that is shown is often misconstrued as anger. Reid opened her platform to those who aren’t usually shown. The audience could hear perspectives from activists on prime-time television. Reid once said, “Challenging the status quo is necessary for progress,” which is what she has done throughout her career path. Though she is no longer a part of MSNBC, her impact is undeniable.
Ethel L. Payne
Ethel L. Payne was born in 1911 in Chicago, IL, during this time period segregation was well in effect and there were extreme limitations to career choices as a Black person. Payne is known as the First Lady of the Black Press for her outgoing tactics in journalism. Payne served as both an activist and a journalist, using her writing to spread awareness of civil rights along with the mistreatment of Black men within the military. One of Payne’s accomplishments that has been overlooked is being the first Black woman to be included in the White House Press Corps. She embodies many of the traits that I hope to obtain such as being more outspoken on topics by which she would hold those in power accountable for racial discrimination.
Payne wrote articles and documented everything that she had witnessed while away in Japan for Army Services during the Korean War. When returning to the States, she continued to use her voice on the show “The Chicago Defender”, where she served as a correspondent. During the Jim Crow Era, some perceived it was better to stay quiet, but Payne did the opposite. Her tactics of direct questions and strong tone of voice are important to practice as a journalist today.
She used her platform to hone in on the discrimination that Black people were facing at that time.
Her outspokenness caused backlash from other white male reporters and people to diminish her talents as a reporter. This, however, only gave her more ambition when reporting, as she would go on to write a series titled “The South at the Crossroads”, which examined the civil rights movement. Payne reported on well-known civil rights movements like the Montgomery Bus Boycott, in which she had the opportunity to interview a key leader in the movement, Martin Luther King. Payne showed that her skin color wasn’t an obstacle but an enhancement of the importance of diversity within the journalism field.
All of these women have defied the odds by breaking both racial and gender barriers and pioneering the techniques journalists use today. Wells, Reid, and Payne demonstrated that gender and race aren’t obstacles, but an asset to modern-day journalism.