Newsroom Diversity

Kate Fickell
kf234811@ohio.edu

Why Newsroom Diversity Works
-The newsroom talks about creating diversity but the action of it seems to separate into black and white. They are criticized on how they cover African Americans in the news and how few minorities they have. Even though numbers of minorities have increased after the Kerner's Report, it doesn't accurately portray the communities of African Americans and Hispanics. A 2014 census shows that only 15 percent of newsrooms have a person of color in the top three leadership positions. It becomes a problem when people feel uncomfortable talking about race issues when it is an important thing to discuss. 
-BuzzFeed is trying to create a diverse newsroom by covering different topics such as plus-size beauty and black beauty. Being white shields you from racism because you don't face those scrutinies unless someone brings it to your attention. When a newsroom is comfortable talking about race issues  it will run smoothly and openly. The business of a newsroom is to explain people to each other; how can that be possible if you don't have enough variety? Carew Grovum then launched the Journalism Diversity Project (JDP) that listed people of color who would be great speakers and add important information in the newsroom. 
-One example for America's ongoing conversation about race would be the Treyvon Martin vs George Zimmerman Case. Diversity in a newsroom isn't a one time thing, it will take time to bring it alive in coverage, thinking, and approach.

Newsrooms Need To Engage If They Want To See Real Change
-The media is disproportionately white males and colored reporters are unfairly questioned when covering stories. When all the reporters have the same background, the hard questions that need to be asked for a story will be left unsaid. Diversity is needed to insure accuracy, fairness and relationships to fill those positions.

Diversity In The Newsroom
The Editorial Cartoons of Steve Greenberg

Race, Ethnicity, and Student Sources: Minority Newsmakers in Student-Produced Versus Professional TV News Stories by Laura K. Smith
-Here is an overview of her article. Having a diverse newsroom doesn't mean it fixes the diversity problem. The environment and culture in the newsroom will allow for news leaders and diverse news content. Journalism has a lot of impact on the readers of our society especially as communities grow. The leaders of the newsroom need to make sure they do their part to adapt to the changing world and make sure diversity is valued. If news outlets want to keep their credibility, then everyone in the newsroom needs to solve the diversity problem. Check out the link to learn more about Laura Smith and her published works CLICK HERE.

Blacks, Hispanics Doubt Media Accuracy

-African Americans and Hispanics, who make up a third of the U.S. population, say that the news doesn't portray their communities accurately. It goes back to diversity in the newsroom and how important it is to have people of that race telling stories about their communities. The news media needs to figure out how to get the news out to the communities based on how they consume their news. Here is a short video talking about the issue of race in the media.