In a notable challenge to newsroom equity, seven Chicago Tribune journalists launched a class-action lawsuit against their paper, alleging stark wage disparities rooted in both racial and gender bias. The defendants in the suit are the Tribune itself, its former owner Tribune Publishing Company, and the current overlord, Alden Global Capital. The plaintiffs are pressing charges against what they claim are "centralized policies and practices" that perpetuate the systematic underpayment of female and African American journalists, as per the WTTW.

Named in the lawsuit, according to the Chicago Sun-Times, are criminal justice reporter Madeline Buckley, photojournalists Stacey Wescott and Terrence James, and several others occupying roles from opinion editor to senior reporter. These seven stand for a group beyond themselves, representing "greater than 50 individuals," as the filing in federal court claims the pay gap to be significant and consistently detrimental to the careers of women and African American employees at the Tribune.

The stark discrepancies in compensation include anecdotes like those of Terrence James, the lone Black photojournalist at the Tribune with over three decades under his belt and only one notable pay raise to show for it. Through the lens of the lawsuit, his situation echoes the broader narrative; non-Black photojournalists with lesser time and accolades receive substantially higher compensation. Despite winning awards and receiving promotions to deputy senior content editor, Deanese Williams finds herself as only the second-lowest paid among editors with the same title, as detailed by the WTTW News. The lawsuit censures the paper's use of residency programs as a pipeline for "cheap labor," claiming that journalists rising from these ranks are shackled to their starter salaries.

Plaintiffs are not merely seeking monetary amends in the form of back pay and damages but are advocating for structural change. Their lawyer, Michael Morrison, emphasized in a statement obtained by the WTTW the pursuit of an audit of pay practices and the implementation of equitable salary structures. Morrison shared, "It’s about basic fairness and equality...And if they’re not paid fairly then we’re going to lose these voices in this profession."