You can read last year’s reporthere.

A reminder of our goals

In 2022, we set new goals for 2023-2025 aimed specifically at enhancing the diversity of our editorial leadership. We committed to:

• Increasing the overall ethnic and racial diversity within senior leadership levels by 20% or more by the end of 2025
• Doubling the number of Black leaders by the end of 2025
• Ensuring that 45% or more of senior leadership positions are held by women by the end of 2025
• Raising the proportion of roles, including promotions, filled by internal talent to 65% by the end of 2025, to foster growth and development within our newsroom

Over the past 12 months, we have increased the number of Black leaders within our newsroom by 13% and improved the representation of racially and ethnically diverse senior leaders by 11%. The proportion of roles filled by internal talent, including promotions, has increased by 3 percentage points, bringing it to 54% from 51%.

Although we still have work to do, we are heading in the right direction.

Our data

Getting better data

Diversity data is provided by employees voluntarily. In 2020 we launched the Count Me In campaign, an ongoing effort to encourage staff to supply their diversity details. The data provided has continued to increase. By Dec 2023 around 68% of newsroom staff had volunteered their race or ethnicity details, up 21 percentage points since Dec 2020; 47% had volunteered their sexual orientation, an increase of around 32 percentage points since Dec 2020.

Here is the availability of data for the Reuters newsroom:

Notes about our data

• The charts are based on our data on Dec 31, 2023.
• The data is aggregated to conceal private individual information.
• For Reuters commercial employees, the definition of senior leadership is director level and above, as across Thomson Reuters. For the newsroom, we have expanded the definition of senior leadership to include all managers in the three layers below the Editor-In-Chief.
• Some employees currently have the option of selecting a “not specified” category. We believe some employees have actively selected that category because other categories do not cover their ethnicity. We are treating this data separately from an absence of data.
• Terms such as “Asian” and “Black” are expressed differently in different countries; we have aggregated them where appropriate.
• In some categories, we capture only a small number of all employees. In part, that is because only a small number of employees have the option of providing their data. Collecting certain types of data in some countries is not permitted for privacy reasons. Other countries level criminal sanctions for the information we are asking staff to provide, particularly around race, sexual orientation, and gender identity, and so we have chosen not to ask our people to do so. Even where we are allowed to collect the data, it is always given on a voluntary basis. For full transparency, we indicate the percentage of staff who have volunteered their diversity data in each category next to each chart.

Investing in Our Talent: Staff Training and Growth

Learning and development are vital to an equitable workplace. Upskilling not only strengthens our newsroom but also keeps us at the forefront of an ever-changing industry. In 2023, our Editorial Learning team provided a range of initiatives designed to help our journalists excel in their roles.

Varied Training Opportunities

We offered training sessions from small, focused workshops to webinars covering topics including journalistic ethics, source building, beat reporting, company news, and pitching.

We revitalized our bootcamp for new hires with five days of interactive sessions with senior editors, covering topics including cybersecurity, mental health, and building a successful career at Reuters.

Our Newsroom Leadership Seminar(s) helped managers hone skills in managing a global, diverse newsroom, fostering strong teams, and maintaining personal well-being.

Introducing Focused Learning Weeks

In March we launched our Editorial Learning Weeks, encouraging reporters and editors to take time to focus on their professional development. More than 2,200 journalists participated in 40 live virtual events, from effective writing for Reuters to fact-checking, source building in challenging environments, crafting compelling headlines and generative AI in journalism.

We enriched our e-learning options for self-paced learning and transformed the Reuters News Academy into a comprehensive hub of learning materials and instructive videos.

Future Plans

In 2024, we have built out extensive AI training, from basic familiarization to advanced tool integration, and enhanced our management training. We have expanded opportunities for cross-team projects and secondments, and made roles more flexible where possible, enabling career advancement while accommodating individual circumstances.

Building An AI-Infused Newsroom

Generative AI is a transformative opportunity for Reuters. Our approach is deeply rooted in our Trust Principles. Jane Barrett, Reuters newly appointed Head of AI Strategy, shares insights on our approach.

Generative AI and Reuters Commitment to Excellence

The introduction of generative AI is a pivotal moment for Reuters, providing a unique chance to leverage innovative tech in journalism. Central to this transformation are Reuters Trust Principles, which have consistently guided our work since 1941. These principles emphasize the importance of expanding and adapting our news services while ensuring their reliability and impartiality.

We are deeply committed to AI innovation, but not at the expense of accuracy or fairness. Our AI teams are diligently optimizing prompts, refining models, and integrating AI into our systems to enhance the speed and efficiency of our reporting, but the final review of all content remains the responsibility of our seasoned editors to maintain the highest journalistic standards.

Maintaining Integrity and Combating Bias

Maintaining the integrity of our reporting is a priority. When biases are identified in models, our Trust Principles dictate immediate collaboration between data scientists and engineers to address and mitigate them.

Empowering Diversity and Innovation

A rewarding aspect of our AI journey is witnessing diverse participation, with employees from various backgrounds and levels engaging in AI training, prompting workshops, and tool evaluations. This inclusive environment allows all team members to create personalized solutions for tasks that may be time-consuming, eliminating technological barriers and encouraging innovation.

Advancing Meaningful Journalism

Reuters is dedicated to creating an AI-empowered newsroom that enables our journalists to concentrate on meaningful, original reporting. While AI can assist with research and rote tasks, the essence of journalism—capturing a moment in a photograph, offering expert insight, or building trust with sources—remains a human endeavor, and one on which our 173-year legacy will continue to be built.

Building Inclusive Journalism: Reuters Commitment to Race and Justice Reporting

By Kat Stafford, Race and Justice Editor, Reuters

In September 2023, Reuters made a significant stride towards more inclusive and representative news coverage by establishing its inaugural Global Race and Justice team.

This team, comprising a U.S.-based correspondent, a Europe-based correspondent, and a data journalist, focuses on producing stories through the lens of race and justice. They have already delivered impactful work, including stories on the crucial role of Black voters in the upcoming U.S. presidential election, prison overcrowding ahead of the Paris Summer Olympics, and an exclusive interview with Wales’ then First Minister Vaughn Gething.

I am immensely proud of their achievements and excited about what lies ahead. In my role as Race and Justice Editor, I help lead our collective efforts to tell stories from a wider range of perspectives.

In my first few months, I prioritized listening to colleagues worldwide, crafting a blueprint for newsroom engagement. This aims to ensure our journalists not only seek diverse perspectives but also provide context and nuance in their reporting. We have integrated source diversity, or equitable sourcing into our annual newsroom goals and started tracking relevant stories, helping to ensure that we include voices from women, people of color, and other marginalized groups.

Early successes include coverage of efforts to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion, Tesla’s race bias lawsuits, global reparations for transatlantic slavery, indigenous rights in Australia, and efforts to engage voters of color in the U.S. election. However, much work remains. Building trust with communities of color and other underserved groups is a long-term commitment.

The past four years, marked by global inequities amid COVID-19 and worldwide racial justice protests, have highlighted the need to integrate race coverage into every beat. From corporate boardrooms to housing, financial markets, health, AI, politics, and migration, race and gender intersect all coverage areas globally. As demographics diversify, newsrooms must reflect and include marginalized perspectives.

Our goal is to continue producing robust coverage that exposes structural racism, inequities, and gender bias. I look forward to another year of transformative reporting.

Enhancing Visual Storytelling: Progress and Highlights from Our Pictures Team

By Rickey Rogers, Global Editor, Reuters Pictures

In our 2020 Diversity Report, I outlined our strategy to address the gender disparity within our photography team. By tracking the number of monthly assignments allocated to women photographers, we have been able to drive meaningful change behind and in front of the camera.

Our success has only been possible through a shift in mindset among hiring managers, and a cultural change within the team. Diversity of age, race, gender, and cultural background are essential for bringing varied perspectives and delivering more inclusive journalism. I would like to highlight the commendable efforts of the team leaders, particularly those in Asia and Latin America.

We are proud to feature some of the work from our new photojournalists who have recently joined our global pictures team.

Building a Talent Pipeline in Latin America

By Claudia Daut, Latam Editor, Reuters Pictures

When I first started exploring how we should approach increasing gender diversity on my team data was my guide. In 2018, just 14% of the photographers I assigned in Latin America were women. It was evident that a lot of work was needed.

Initially, my focus was on recruiting seasoned photographers. But turning to social media proved to be a game-changer, allowing me to discover emerging, lesser-known photographers eager to show their work and talent.

I joined women photographers' cooperatives across Latin America and followed platforms advocating for female photographers, I conducted personal conversations with promising photographers to encourage their involvement in assignments or story pitches as trial opportunities.

The work produced by these photographers has been inspiring and uplifting. As our mentorship and inclusion efforts gained traction, an increasing number of women photographers approached me directly, helping to build trust.

By the end of 2023, women made up 36% of my team, marking a 22-percentage point increase from our starting point. This is progress, but there is a lot more work to do to enhance gender diversity and continue to champion diverse voices in our storytelling.

Being Intentionally Inclusive

By Masood Ahmad, Asia Editor, Reuters Pictures

Gender diversity has historically been a challenge in Asia. However, I am proud of the progress our team has made in this area. The proportion of photo contributions by women in my team has increased from 4% in 2018 to 36% by the end of 2023.

Coming from Afghanistan, I have always placed a high value on equality. A diverse team is crucial to authentically reflecting the world we cover. A critical aspect of our journey in Asia has involved confronting outdated industry perspectives that still question women's suitability for photojournalism.

Our aim is to attain equal representation in terms of gender, while ensuring equity in compensation, opportunities, and career growth. The collective commitment of our newsroom towards this goal is truly inspiring.

By maintaining our focus on diversity and inclusion, we aspire to build a team that not only excels in photojournalism, but also accurately represents the diverse world we capture through our lens.

Paving Diverse Paths: Nurturing Tomorrow’s Reporters

Journalism thrives on diverse voices and perspectives. Here, we highlight two impactful Reuters programs: the partnership with the Overseas Press Club Foundation and the Thomson Reuters Neurodiversity Internship Program.

Overseas Press Club Foundation

Reuters has a longstanding partnership with the New York based Overseas Press Club (OPC) Foundation, which aims to support the next generation of international correspondents. Every year, the Foundation awards fellowships and scholarships to 18 university students. The organization, which is affiliated with the Overseas Press Club of America, works with media partners including Reuters to arrange work experience for the award winners by placing them in internships around the world and supporting their independent reporting projects. The winners “share a desire to go to the far corners of the globe to practice truthful, ethical journalism and to produce deep and insightful stories for their audiences,” according to the OPC Foundation’s website (https://www.overseaspressclubfoundation.org/).

Reuters Global Managing Editor for Business News Tiffany Wu and Global News Desk Editor Ed Tobin sit on the board of the OPC Foundation and are among the panel of judges who select the award winners. They also choose up to four of the awardees to become Reuters summer interns every year, consulting with bureau chiefs and specialist editors to match the students’ skills and interests with our global newsroom needs. This has been a great talent pipeline for Reuters. Many of our interns have gone on to pursue distinguished careers as foreign correspondents and bureau chiefs. Among them is Caroline Stauffer, our Canada bureau chief, who first joined Reuters as an OPC intern in Mexico in 2010.

I am incredibly grateful to the Overseas Press Club for providing a path into Reuters. With most journalism internships based in the United States, I would have found it hard to secure one coming out of a degree program in international affairs on the heels of the great recession.

The OPC provided me with a scholarship to work with the Reuters Mexico City bureau for a summer -- my dream placement. It also offered training and introduced me to other journalists in New York City before I left. I was finally able to visualize a career path in business journalism in Latin America.

In Mexico, I worked with reporters on economic stories and wrote about everything from butterfly migration to abortion rights in Mexico. I learned how to cover markets and Latin American currencies, giving me a good base for all the roles I have had at the company since. I moved on to Peru covering mining and the country’s colorful politics before taking my first foray into agriculture reporting in Brazil. I travelled far and wide, broke news on a far-reaching corruption scandal and camped out on an indigenous reservation to report on illegal farming on the edge of the Amazon. I recall being asked to help select the interns that year, as a former Reuters intern myself.

After four years in Brazil, I started my first job as a manager a week after the Rio Olympics as the South Latin America Bureau Chief based in Buenos Aires. I learned about bond markets, the Argentine Pope and the country’s obsession with beef.

Before the role of Canada Bureau Chief, I served as the Chicago Bureau Chief, where I oversaw agriculture coverage across the Americas for six years. During that time, I navigated the US-China trade war, the pandemic, and wild swings in commodity markets. I continue to approach my work with a global perspective, and I closely follow the fine journalism produced by Reuters and other OPC partners all over the world.

Building Careers for Neurodiverse Talent at Reuters

By Hezron Selvi, Asia Speed Editor/Deputy Global Speed Editor

Caregivers for individuals with autism often grapple with a pressing question: What will happen to their loved ones in the future as adults?

As someone who has raised a person on the autism spectrum, this concern is close to my heart. While India, like many other countries, has developed strong educational systems for individuals with additional support needs, there is a significant gap in integrating them into the workforce and society as adults, leaving many confined to their homes.

In 2018, I proposed to HR in India and our global centers in the Philippines and Poland a plan to create lasting job opportunities for individuals on the autism spectrum. HR was supportive, but we encountered issues, particularly the intense sensory environment of newsrooms. This challenge stalled our progress until mid-2019.

COVID-19, despite its challenges, prompted the transition to online and hybrid work models that better accommodate sensory needs. This allowed the launch of the Thomson Reuters Neurodiversity Internship Program.

The program offers paid internships to 10 individuals on the autism spectrum in India, with each of our 20+ business functions committed to hosting at least one intern.

Our first group started in December 2020. Its success meant we have now had over 60 interns in five years. We currently have 20 interns with seven in the Reuters Bangalore newsroom—five of whom are now full-time employees.

Working with neurodiverse individuals has reshaped our understanding, improving our patience, communication, and time management skills. It has required effort and adaptation from everyone involved.

I aspire for this initiative to grow exponentially, becoming a global standard for talent acquisition in our newsroom and evolving from a project into business as usual.

“Initially, I was afraid of writing Stocks Buzz, but with practice and understanding the format for writing and meeting readers’ expectations, I was able to progress from an intern to an employee. I am still learning every day, but the experiences have given me confidence to compile and write Buzzes. My job at Reuters is invaluable because it has exposed me to professional communication and various aspects of the office environment.”

Rajarshi Roy, Correspondent – Consumer & Retail Reporting Team, Bangalore Bureau

“I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to work at Reuters and with the amazing people in my team. This being my first job in a multinational organization, I got to learn a lot about the job, different work cultures and the way news is generated and published. This learning will go a long way.”

Pavithra S, News Associate – News Support Team, Bangalore Bureau

Living and Reporting the Story - The Israel/Gaza Conflict

Covering the Israel/Gaza conflict poses a unique challenge for our dedicated team of reporters on the ground. They are tasked with reporting accurately and impartially while navigating the immediate dangers and emotional strain of living amidst the very stories they bring to the world. Balancing objective reporting with the personal impacts of the conflict is a delicate act of courage and resilience. James Mackenzie, our Bureau Chief for Israel, and Palestinian Territories, reflects on the extraordinary demands faced by our experienced team.

Covering this war has been incredibly challenging, even for a team with substantial experience in this region. Every conflict presents unique difficulties, and it's hard to draw direct comparisons between situations like those in Russia, Ukraine, Iraq, or Afghanistan, and this one.

A particular challenge of covering this war lies in the close-knit nature of our team. Within the same bureau, we have people who have directly suffered the impacts of war and must report on it professionally as Reuters journalists. Our colleagues in Gaza have lost relatives and homes, and in Israel, one of our team members attended three funerals in one day following the October 7 attack. This isn't to equate their experiences, but to highlight how intimately connected they are to this conflict and the immense pressure they face.

Despite these challenges, our team has managed to balance the intense emotions people are experiencing with the professional focus needed to accurately report the events unfolding. I think the exceptional work done by our teams, recognized by awards for our video and photojournalism, is a testament not only to their professional expertise but also to the human qualities they bring to their work.

For me, as a foreigner in the middle of all this, I am in awe of how they navigate their roles. Everyone involved has personal opinions and emotions about this war, which has stirred strong feelings globally, evident from American college campuses to European city protests.

The psychological toll has been immense from the initial events of October 7 to the current developments in Gaza. Managing this strain is challenging both personally and as a team. However, our staff's attitude has been exemplary. We have a diverse team from Gaza, Israel, the West Bank, Israelis, Palestinians, Jews, Muslims, and Christians. While it has not always been smooth, the level of professionalism displayed by everyone as Reuters journalists is commendable and something our newsroom can rightfully be proud of.

Prioritizing Mental Health: Reuters' Commitment to Supporting Our Journalists

Good mental health empowers our reporters to perform at their best. We are dedicated to improving access to resources that build resilience, creating a supportive work environment and to continuously seeking innovative ways to safeguard the mental well-being of our journalists.

In 2023, we integrated a mental health and well-being component into our editorial risk assessments. This ensures that editors give priority to both mental and physical safety before assignments, making mental health a fundamental consideration and not an afterthought. We encourage our managers to debrief with reporters to mitigate the risk of psychological trauma and help create a self-care plan, especially after demanding assignments.

In honor of World Mental Health Awareness Week, we organized various well-being activities, panel discussions, and events. These initiatives allowed our team to step back and focus on self-care and mental wellness. Highlights included:

• "13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do" - A conversation with author Amy Morin
• A 6-week course on "Transforming Stress & Trauma-Affected Sleep"
• Workshops on "Setting Boundaries & Empowering Oneself as a Highly Sensitive Person"
• Discussions on "Supporting the Mental Well-being of Your Team"
• "Everything You Need to Know About the Perimenopause, Menopause & Mental Health (but were too afraid to ask)" with author Kate Muir

These activities complement the comprehensive range of mental health services we offer year-round, including:

• The CiC Trauma Program: Provides counseling for anyone dealing with stress or trauma, available to all staff, freelancers, and their families.
• Thomson Reuters Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Offers additional counseling services.
• The Peer Network: Established in 2015, comprising of over 70 journalists worldwide who volunteer to support colleagues needing someone to talk to.
• Regular Online Art Classes: Which serve as a creative outlet, and some of our journalists' artwork is showcased on our platforms.
• Reuters Mental Health & Resilience Resource: An online hub for all our mental health resources, expert guidance, and information. This provides journalists—employees, stringers, or freelancers—easy access to essential support to maintain mental health, build resilience, and seek help when needed.Reuters remains committed to enhancing mental health support for our editorial staff. Our ongoing aim is to ensure that every journalist, employee or freelancer, has the resources needed to maintain good mental health.

Supporting Good Mental Health – The CiC-Reuters Partnership

Harry Key, Head of Global Specialist Services, CiC

Since 2006, CiC has partnered with Reuters to provide a Global Trauma Support program for all editorial staff, including freelancers and contractors, in various languages and locations.

The program is designed for journalists exposed to stress and trauma, offering multi-lingual specialist referrals, face-to-face support, trauma sessions, and hostile environment training. Journalists face significant pressures, such as working in conflict zones, constant exposure to distressing content, mental health stigma, surveillance concerns, community hostility, and online harassment.

The Peer Support Network at Reuters has grown to include over 70 peers across 26 countries, speaking 34 languages, providing confidential, empathetic spaces for colleagues to discuss work-related stress. Peer interactions are reported confidentially to CiC, allowing for comprehensive monitoring and anonymized feedback to Reuters, which helps address stressors while maintaining privacy.

Reuters and CiC offer a confidential program focused on journalism-related trauma referrals, peer support, and proactive check-ins. Over the years, CiC's collaboration with Reuters leadership has strengthened, facilitating support beyond standard therapeutic referrals, and enhancing our industry-specific understanding.

CiC's programs at Reuters are industry-leading, broadening the support scope to include all staff exposed to trauma, redefining traditional "PTSD support for war correspondents." Senior leadership at Reuters plays a crucial role in promoting these programs, recognizing their importance for staff well-being and success.

Through collaboration and innovative support strategies, CiC and Reuters have established a mental health-focused workplace culture that meets the editorial staff's needs and underscores the value of mental health support in the journalism industry.

What’s next...

We recognize that every action we take, no matter how small, contributes to building a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable newsroom. While we've made progress, we are committed to continuous improvement. Look out for:

• Enhanced AI training programs for our team.
• Expanded talent outreach initiatives to attract a more diverse group of individuals to our newsroom.
• Establishment of editorial leadership circles to support our newsroom managers.
• Increased opportunities for cross-team projects.
• Training for managers and editors in effectively supporting staff who are struggling with their mental health.
• Guidance on best practices for trauma reporting and handling graphic content.
• Launch of an editorial accelerator program aimed at supporting local mid-career talent.

Our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion is deeply rooted in our editorial mission: to deliver outstanding, unbiased, and trusted journalism on a global scale. We believe that a diverse and inclusive newsroom creates a more robust and insightful understanding of the world around us. By creating an environment where everyone feels valued and empowered, we can better serve our audience with diverse perspectives and high-quality reporting. We are confident that our continued efforts will enhance our newsroom and strengthen our ability to fulfil our mission.