Melissa Bell@MelissaBell

There’s been a good conversation about diversity in the media. In part because of an @emilybell article.  http://bit.ly/1cy5NpL 

Fri, Mar 14 2014 21:25:41

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— Melissa Bell (@MelissaBell)Fri, Mar 14 2014 21:25:41

Melissa Bell@MelissaBell

It’s an important topic, and one that needs to be discussed constantly and rigorously all the time, especially at journalism institutions.

Fri, Mar 14 2014 21:26:11

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— Melissa Bell (@MelissaBell)Fri, Mar 14 2014 21:26:11

Melissa Bell@MelissaBell

But something struck me as wrong in @emilybell's piece. She diminished my role and the role of many women shaping digital media today.

Fri, Mar 14 2014 21:26:42

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http://twitter.com/MelissaBell/status/444585433889271809

— Melissa Bell (@MelissaBell)Fri, Mar 14 2014 21:26:42

Melissa Bell@MelissaBell

I am not @ezraklein's hire. I am his partner and co-founder @voxdotcom. I am an editor, and a leader on the technology side at @voxmediainc.

Fri, Mar 14 2014 21:27:22

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— Melissa Bell (@MelissaBell)Fri, Mar 14 2014 21:27:22

Melissa Bell@MelissaBell

Not acknowledging my role is dismissive of the work I’ve done and the work of many women who have allowed me to be in the position I am in.

Fri, Mar 14 2014 21:27:50

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http://twitter.com/MelissaBell/status/444585719919812610

— Melissa Bell (@MelissaBell)Fri, Mar 14 2014 21:27:50

Melissa Bell@MelissaBell

It also diminishes @ezraklein and @mattyglesias and their confidence in my work -- as a professional, not as a woman.

Fri, Mar 14 2014 21:28:04

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— Melissa Bell (@MelissaBell)Fri, Mar 14 2014 21:28:04

Melissa Bell@MelissaBell

And @voxdotcom already has amazingly talented women writers: @sarahkliff @libbynelson @susannahlocke @DaraLind @titonka @eleanorbarkhorn.

Fri, Mar 14 2014 21:28:30

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— Melissa Bell (@MelissaBell)Fri, Mar 14 2014 21:28:30

Melissa Bell@MelissaBell

We’re continuing to hire. (Contact me if you want to know more!) And we are listening to all the great advice being passed around this week.

Fri, Mar 14 2014 21:29:14

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— Melissa Bell (@MelissaBell)Fri, Mar 14 2014 21:29:14

Melissa Bell@MelissaBell

As a new institution, getting the hiring right now is crucial to everything we want to become in the future.

Fri, Mar 14 2014 21:29:27

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— Melissa Bell (@MelissaBell)Fri, Mar 14 2014 21:29:27

Melissa Bell@MelissaBell

You can’t understand and explain a broad range of stories if all your reporters come from the same perspectives.

Fri, Mar 14 2014 21:29:40

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— Melissa Bell (@MelissaBell)Fri, Mar 14 2014 21:29:40

Melissa Bell@MelissaBell

That’s true in terms of the kind of articles we want to write. But it is also true in terms of the kind of staff we want to be.

Fri, Mar 14 2014 21:29:50

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http://twitter.com/MelissaBell/status/444586224138076161

— Melissa Bell (@MelissaBell)Fri, Mar 14 2014 21:29:50

Melissa Bell@MelissaBell

If we hire a homogenous team now, it will be much harder to build a diverse team later. And that will be devastating to our mission.

Fri, Mar 14 2014 21:30:35

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http://twitter.com/MelissaBell/status/444586411740889088

— Melissa Bell (@MelissaBell)Fri, Mar 14 2014 21:30:35

Melissa Bell@MelissaBell

.@emilybell's piece picked up on a truth no one can deny: this country favors white men in small and large ways.

Fri, Mar 14 2014 21:30:53

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— Melissa Bell (@MelissaBell)Fri, Mar 14 2014 21:30:53

Melissa Bell@MelissaBell

It's also true @voxdotcom does not have as diverse a staff as we want. And we are learning and shaping our team as we grow.

Fri, Mar 14 2014 21:31:20

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— Melissa Bell (@MelissaBell)Fri, Mar 14 2014 21:31:20

Melissa Bell@MelissaBell

As I’ve spoken with journalists about diversity, a common refrain is that it’s incredibly important to create an atmosphere of openness.

Fri, Mar 14 2014 21:31:53

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http://twitter.com/MelissaBell/status/444586741052481536

— Melissa Bell (@MelissaBell)Fri, Mar 14 2014 21:31:53

Melissa Bell@MelissaBell

We want to hire the best candidates, and we need to make sure we cast as wide a net to find the best candidates from diverse backgrounds.

Fri, Mar 14 2014 21:32:07

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http://twitter.com/MelissaBell/status/444586796966772736

— Melissa Bell (@MelissaBell)Fri, Mar 14 2014 21:32:07

Melissa Bell@MelissaBell

But people need to feel welcome for who they are, not what they are. </twitterrant>

Fri, Mar 14 2014 21:33:07

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http://twitter.com/MelissaBell/status/444587050608910336

— Melissa Bell (@MelissaBell)Fri, Mar 14 2014 21:33:07