Diversity in the Newsroom

Anna Lippincott

al859011@ohio.edu

In the wake of the most recent recession, families have been left unemployed and without hope. In addition to an economic crisis, newspapers and media outlets have faced a crisis of their own and layoffs have been astronomical. Unfortunately for certain journalists, the magnitude of the problem is double.

Minority journalists have been a growing force in the newsroom in the past decade, seeing their highest employment numbers in history. However, progress has backtracked much of a result of the recent news employee decline, which hit minorities hard. According to an article in The Atlantic, in 2011 minority newsroom employment fell 5.7 percent, more than double the average drop. One very viable reason for the decline is the buyouts companies have offered, which seem appealing and like a positive alternative for many people. After all, it is better than the oftentimes inevitable layoff. A second and perhaps stronger reason is because there has been a huge minority push in the last several years, pushing many new hires into the minority category. While this sounds promising, when news outlets are forced to downsize, it is newer employees that are first to see the boot. For non-whites, this is a huge portion of employees. 

Image via Appreciation of Booted News Women Blog

So where do we go from here?

In a time when the newsroom does not look do promising, it is important to keep pace so that the progress for minorities is not lost. There are plenty of alternatives for ethnic journalists to overcompensate for the job loss numbers in order to come back strong.  Journalists should strategize to bring minority employment back on the rise.

1.     1. Pick a strong beat.  “Don’t feel like you have to do the racism beat,” but it never hurts for journalists to choose something unique they may have an edge on. While it is easy for a Caucasian writer to gather information on South Asia, a second generation Pilipino journalist may have more background knowledge and insight. Just like an of Mexican decent journalist may have a deeper connection with immigration issues.

2.     2. Freelance. If there are no newsroom jobs available, journalists always have the opportunity to get their names out through freelance outlets. For minority journalists, it can be easier to find freelance jobs or get more work clips through community publications. Journalists can look to their local ethnic publications or papers to publish work about issues concerning them. 

3.     3. Look for outlets that will use race to their advantage. Maybe a particular local station has had only white reporters for the last ten years. Chances are they are looking to diversify to improve their image. A journalist should not be afraid to mention he hopes to be the first Indian anchor on the station. Make mixing race a necessity for the network.

4.     4. Don’t be discouraged. Economics comes in swings, and the market will pick back up. There will be jobs for journalists, and pre-downfall, minority journalism jobs were on an incredible rise. The best thing ethnic reporters can do is not lose hope and continue to work hard.