CNN’s Brooke Baldwin urged women to “speak up and keep pushing” for diversity and equality in her final sign-off from her show on Friday.
“We do need diverse voices telling our stories from in front of the camera and to the executive suites,” Baldwin said. “We are making progress. So, whatever industry you’re in, my parting words: Get a little uncomfortable. Speak up and keep pushing.”
Baldwin first announced in February that she was leaving the network in April. Earlier this month, she revealed there was a gender pay disparity at the network but that “it’s getting better.” “The most influential anchors on our network — the highest-paid — are men. 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’ve been surrounded by a lot of men,” Baldwin said on Ms. Magazine’s “On the Issues” podcast.
Also Read: Brooke Baldwin Criticizes CNN for Gender Pay Disparity on Her Way Out
During her sign-off on Friday, Baldwin said that she was not originally envisioned to anchor her afternoon show.
“More than a decade ago, there was an anchor who suddenly departed CNN, leaving this gaping hole in the afternoons, and the then-bosses quickly turned to me and were like, ‘Brooke, we’re going to need you to keep the seat warm just for a week until we actually find the person who will take over this show,'” Baldwin said. “Well, guess what? I have kept this seat warm for nearly 11 years.”
“This job, using my voice for over a decade, has been nothing short of a profound privilege,” she continued. “I am a journalist and a storyteller for life. And lastly, I’m leaving this place even better than I found it.”
Watch Baldwin’s full sign-off here.
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Brooke Baldwin Criticizes CNN for Gender Pay Disparity on Her Way Out
