Three of Bon Appetit‘s high-profile editors are leaving its successful YouTube video series.
Two months after the top editor Adam Rapoport resigned amid complaints of racial insensitivity and a toxic workplace culture, three journalists of color prominently featured on the publication’s YouTube channel – Sohla El-Waylly, Priya Krishna and Rick Martinez – are no longer participating in the popular series.
Two of the journalists accused Condé Nast of failing to offer them pay that was commensurate to that of their white colleagues, according to the New York Times on Thursday (August 6).
“After five weeks of contract negotiations, it is clear that I will not get a fair pay rate nor will I get a comparable number of appearances to my colleagues in the test kitchen. Nor would anyone share with me the specifics of the diversity and inclusivity initiatives in video that they claim to be working on,” Rick wrote on his Instagram Story.
“The contract I received was nowhere near equitable, and actually would potentially allow for me to make even less than I do currently,” Priya wrote in her own statement.
A spokesman for Condé Nast issued a statement to the New York Times: “We pay all our employees fairly, and in accordance with their role and experience. Our pay practices are in line with industry standards. To suggest that we are paying individuals differently based on race, gender or any other reason simply isn’t true.”
Here’s what popular channel star Claire Saffitz had to say when the controversy first broke…
I'm leaving Bon Appétit video. Here's what's been happening over the last few months, and some thoughts. pic.twitter.com/L59blcESLv
— Priya Krishna (@priyakrishna) August 6, 2020
