The 41-year-old journalist, who left her longtime employer after 13 years, reveals in a new interview that 'the most influential anchors on [her] network [and] the highest-paid, are men.'
- Apr 8, 2021
AceShowbiz - Brooke Baldwin has unveiled one of the reasons why she left CNN. The journalist, who is departing from the network after 13 years, admitted that she took issue with its gender pay disparity.
The 41-year-old made the revelation when speaking on Ms. Magazine's "On The Issues With Michele Goodwin" podcast. "I've been anchoring for 10-plus years, the majority of that time two hours in the afternoon. And in that time, you know, the most influential anchors on our network [and] the highest-paid, are men," she first spilled.
"My bosses, my executives are men. The person who oversees CNN Dayside is a man, and my executive producer for 10 years is a man. So, I have been surrounded by a lot of men," she further divulged. "I do think it is changing, I know it is changing just by looking at some of the faces that are popping up more and more on our channel... but oftentimes, especially early on ... I was surrounded by a lot of dudes."
Brooke, who hosts the afternoon segment of "CNN Newsroom", also claimed that she does personally "fight for women's stories." Despite getting "told no a lot," she said that she managed to overcome such setbacks.
"Little by little, by having women in places of power - and I would argue behind-the-scenes, not just in front, but behind-the-scenes - that is how you then have stories that reflect who they are," she further shared. "It's getting better but we still have a bit of a ways to go."
Brooke announced her departure from CNN in February. "For a decade, I've never taken for granted the enormous responsibility and privilege I've had to work with some of the most talented producers and photojournalists out there as we covered our era's most urgent and important stories," she declared while on-air.
"Conflicts, terrorism, environmental and natural disasters, the wrath of gun violence, human interest stories and royal weddings, my 'American Woman' series, social justice movements that define our culture and a pandemic that changed the world... and politics," she went on. "Lots of politics."
"I am grateful for your loyalty and passion for the world we cover," Brooke concluded. "The next chapter of life will be focused on what I love the most about my work, amplifying the lives of extraordinary Americans and putting my passion for storytelling to good use."
