Our Diversity and Inclusion Pledge

diverse women's hands
Photo:

PeopleImages / Getty Images

The Martha Stewart brand believes that every human being deserves respect, representation, and opportunity. We are committed to creating content that highlights and celebrates a diverse mix of inspiring makers and experts across the country and world. We strive to elevate the talents of those who are doing unique, beautiful work while also paying homage to their communities and cultures. It is our goal that every single reader will see themselves represented in our content, and we're working hard each and every day to make the changes that facilitate this.

To that end, we're taking action on the items outlined below, and we will hold ourselves accountable as a brand by sharing our progress and important updates regularly. If you have questions about our plan and progress, or ideas on how we can improve further, please let us know at marthaeditors@dotdashmdp.com.

  • Diversify our editorial staff and contributor network: Our content is created by our in-house editorial staff, as well as a large network of freelancers (including writers, photographers, stylists). It is our ultimate goal to have at least 30% of our full-time staff identify as members of the BIPOC community. [As of February 2023, we have 17%.] We will continue to prioritize diversity in our hiring, ensuring that BIPOC candidates are considered for every open role we've posted, interviewing at minimum one BIPOC candidate for each open role.
  • Revisit our most popular content through a critical lens: We've revised our brand style guide to ensure we are using inclusive language and avoiding terms with problematic origins for all new content we create, and we pledge to ​​continue reviewing our content and improving the inclusivity of our library. We'll work with the Anti-Bias Review Board formed by our parent company, Dotdash Meredith, to assess 500 pieces of content on MarthaStewart.com for bias in language and images. Based on this review, our team will take appropriate action that can be reported on before the end of 2022. [This process is now scheduled to begin in Q2 2023.]
  • Continue to ensure there is diversity of age, ability, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ representation throughout our content: It is important to our staff that all readers see themselves in our content. We pledge to continue to amplify BIPOC and LGBTQ+ small businesses, as well as BIPOC and LGBTQ+ subjects and sources throughout our content. We will continue to ensure that at least 40% of our real weddings feature BIPOC and/or LGBTQ+ couples, and we will never share a wedding that was held at a plantation or property with a history of slavery.
  • Support diversity and inclusion in our community: We intend to form a community partnership and will strive to have this partnership active by the end of 2022. [As of February 2023, we are finalizing discussions with a local organization.]