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DEI staff survey shows drops in diversity
The survey showed shifts in representation and equity efforts in the Daily Trojan.
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By ADITI CHOPRA
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This semester’s DEI staff survey reflects continued change in the paper’s demographics, with a decrease in racial and gender identity representation and a rise in reported disability status. (Ethan Thai / Daily Trojan)
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The Daily Trojan published its initial Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Report in Fall 2020. Since then, the newspaper has administered a staffwide DEI survey each semester. The results help the paper track demographic trends, assess staff experiences and identify areas for improvement in recruitment, newsroom culture and editorial practices.
The survey provides valuable insight into the evolving composition of the newsroom and guides efforts to better reflect and serve the broader USC community through more inclusive journalism.
This semester’s Daily Trojan DEI staff survey reflects continued changes in the paper’s demographics, with a decrease in representation of racial and gender identities and a notable increase in reported disability status.
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Methodology
The Spring 2025 DEI Survey was distributed to staff in mid-April, several months into the semester. This timing allowed the survey to reflect active participation and exclude staffers who had withdrawn early in the semester or were minimally involved. The survey had a final total of 144 responses out of a staff of 286, a 50.3% response rate — a slight decrease from 53.2% last semester.
As with past surveys, questions covered race and ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, class standing, financial aid, disability status and student background. Respondents could select multiple options where applicable, and “Prefer not to state” options were included for all identity-based questions.
Survey responses were used to assess trends in representation and satisfaction, identify areas for improvement, and inform policy, recruitment and cultural development within the newsroom.
(Leila MacKenzie / Daily Trojan)
Race and Ethnicity
Thirty-one staff members identify with more than one racial or ethnic background, making up 21.5% of survey respondents. These staffers are represented in both the multiracial category and in each of their respective racial identities.
East Asian representation slightly declined to 22.9% from 25.6% last semester. Latine/Hispanic representation also slightly declined to 24.3% from 26.9% last semester.
Black staffers made up 5.6% of responses, slightly down from 6.4% in Fall 2024. White staffers comprised 38.2% of the overall staff — the most of any identity group — but saw a slight decrease, down from 44.2%.
There was an increase in South Asian and Southeast Asian representation, as they constituted 17.4% and 9.7%, respectively — both increasing from last fall’s 9.6% and 5.1%.
Middle Eastern or North African representation remained stable at 2.8%. While Native/Alaska Native/Indigenous and Pacific Islander staffers represented 1.4% each.
Religious Affiliation
The staff’s religious affiliations remained diverse, with many staffers selecting multiple affiliations. Atheist (20.1%) and Agnostic (16.7%) staffers made up a significant portion of the newsroom at 36%, consistent with past semesters. The percentage of respondents who selected “None/Not religious” rose to 1.4% from 1.3%.
Christian staffers compose 34% of staff, of which Catholic staffers were the largest denomination with 17.4%. Students who identified generally as Christians comprised 10.4% of staff, while 4.1% of staff were Protestant and 1.4% were Orthodox Christians.
Hindu staffers made up 10.4% of the respondents — up from 7.1% in Fall 2024. Jewish staffers make up 4.2% compared to 8.3% last semester. Less prominent affiliations, such as Buddhist and Sikh identities, continued to be represented, each by at least one staffer. Muslim staffers went from 1.3% last semester to 0%.
(Leila MacKenzie / Daily Trojan)
Gender Identity
Cisgender individuals continued to make up the majority of staff at 89.6%, with cis women (59.0%) outnumbering cis men (30.6%). The percentage of non-cisgender individuals decreased slightly to 6.9%, down from 8.3% the previous semester. These included trans men, trans women, agender, genderfluid, nonbinary and gender nonconforming identities.
Sexual and Romantic Orientation
Heterosexual/heteroromantic/straight individuals represent the majority of staff at 54.9% of respondents — an increase from last semester’s 52.6%.
Lesbian and gay representation each made up 4.9% of staffers. Bisexual/biromantic representation increased from 17.9% to 18.1%, following the upward trend from last semester. Asexual representation decreased from 4.5% to 1.4%.
Disability
The percentage of staffers with a reported disability dropped to 13.4%, down from 17.9% in the previous semester. These disabilities include both physical and mental health conditions. As with past reports, “prefer not to state” responses were excluded from this calculation to better reflect the self-identified disabled community at the Daily Trojan.
Class Standing
Underclassmen once again made up the majority of the staff. Freshmen and sophomores made up 68.8% of the respondents, with sophomores alone accounting for 31.3% of the total. Juniors made up 12.5% of staff, while seniors constituted 13.9%. Fifth-year and graduate students accounted for a small portion of the team.
Semesters at the Daily Trojan
Roughly 34.7% of respondents reported that Spring 2025 was their first semester on staff. Staffers with one or two semesters of experience made up 40.3% of responses. At the same time, the paper continues to benefit from long-term contributors: 2.8% of survey respondents reported having been on staff for eight or more semesters.
Student Status
The majority of staff (60.4%) identified as traditional first-time college students. First-generation college students made up 18.8% of respondents. International students increased from 7.7% to 15.3%, while spring admits rose to 16.0% from 5.8% in Fall 2024. Transfer students made up 6.3% of staff, a minor uptick from last semester’s 4.5%.
Financial Background
Roughly 53.5% of staffers reported receiving financial aid from the University, while 41.7% reported receiving none. The range of aid received varied: About 13.2% of staff reported receiving between $1-$20,000, while 18.8% of staff reported receiving $60,001 or more in aid.
Outside Jobs
A significant portion of staff members continued to balance their work at the Daily Trojan with other employment. Students who reported holding a job or internship outside of the paper made up 54.2% of respondents — slightly lower than Fall 2024’s 62.2%.
DEI Committee Semester Recap and Forward Planning
This semester, the DEI committee continued its efforts to foster an equitable and inclusive newsroom. The committee implemented a revised DEI feedback form to track experiences of bias and microaggressions. Staffers also collaborated on cross-section DEI workshops to address editorial equity, DEI guidelines and updates to the Daily Trojan Style Guide, ensuring more inclusive coverage in areas such as disability, religion, gender and immigration.
Within the committee, staffers operated as internal and external liaisons. Internal liaisons worked independently with Arts and Entertainment, News, Opinion and Sports sections to increase DEI awareness within our staffers and our coverage. External liaisons worked to establish lasting relationships with various cultural organizations on campus to increase sensitivity and awareness in our reporting, foster trust with underrepresented communities and ensure more inclusive coverage across all sections.
The feedback collected this semester will guide the incoming DEI director and managing team as they work to implement improvements. Internally, it will help identify areas for growth and reinforce existing strengths as part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen the newsroom environment.
Moving forward, the incoming DEI leadership should explore enhanced demographic tracking methods for intersectional data, pursue enhanced community reporting strategies, increase opportunities for training programs and create more mentorship opportunities for underrepresented staffers.
As always, the DEI committee remains committed to representing and supporting the full spectrum of identities present within the USC community and the broader Los Angeles landscape.
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