The Need for Diversity in Newsrooms

Shelby Campbell

sc568816@ohio.edu

As the American population shifts, media companies, news outlets and PR firms must change how they report to represent all Americans. In 2013, US census data showed that 37 percent of US citizens are minorities. Mainstream media, however, has not yet shifted to represent that population.

Why include more diversity?

Although race is an important factor in diverse reporting, there are other identities and cultural perspectives that journalists have a responsibility to cover. Diversity in media shows more acceptance and understanding toward minority populations.

We, as journalists, should strive to cover more topics that appeal to a wider audience. The majority is quickly becoming the minority, and media outlets have to shift to accommodate that. Not only are individual races longing for an outlet that will report accurately on their communities, but people with different sexualities, socio-economic statuses and gender identities are also at a loss for coverage.

The main goal of diversity is inclusion. But it would be untrue to say we include or even represent minority communities fairly and accurately if none of them are included in newsrooms. White reporters dominate newsrooms, with only 22 percent minority reporters in television stations and 13 percent in newsrooms and radio stations, according to a report from The Atlantic. 

Source

A white journalist cannot truly represent minority communities, because he does not have the same experiences as a minority reporter. So, to truly cover underrepresented communities, we must include more minorities in the newsroom itself.

How can media outlets include more diverse content?
Although there is a clear need for more representation in the media, news outlets continually underrepresent minority communities. According to an American Press Institute poll, 75 percent of blacks had at least some doubt about the accuracy of news surrounding their community, and 66 percent of Hispanics said the same.

Media outlets must listen to consumers to adapt to a changing climate. Creating a race beat, even locally, could shift the focus from stories about blacks in crime and sports to a more positive narrative. According to that American Press Institute poll, many black and Hispanic citizens get news regarding their communities through outlets reporting race-specific news.

If major news outlets catered to that same audience with a beat for their community, it could have a major impact on how minorities view the media. Specifically targeting a minority market would both attract more consumers and change stereotypes around those communities. A race-specific beat would cover a wider scope of stories about different races, while correcting stereotypes with positivity.

A race beat is not necessarily the only solution. Journalists must simply cover stories that represent minority communities in a more positive light. Although we may be simply covering the facts of a negative story, that reporting does contribute to stereotypes. Therefore, we must counteract that with wider coverage of minorities. And to do so, we must include more minorities in the reporting process as well.