Former journalists Kim McLarin (Taming It Down, 1998) and Lisa Haddock (Edited Out, 1994; Final Cut, 1995) mine their experiences in the world of journalism to create two characters � one African American and one lesbian � who struggle between journalism�s world of power and privilege and the responsibilities toward their own minority communities. The characters exemplify what it means to be an �outsider within� the newsroom and their own community in an effort to climb the career ladder while staying true to their roots. This paper examines how race and gender define each woman�s experience in journalism, and how these fictional representations portray minority reporters to the world.