Diversity in media—it matters

Alejandro Figueroa
af297616@ohio.edu

There is no doubt the way in which news coverage is presented is changing, with this, hurdles in how to address a changing demographic become clear. The most obvious one being diversity in the newsroom across the nation.

Diversity nowadays has been generally thought of as a feel-good movement, as a way to foster inclusivity and acceptance in the workplace, after all, it’s good for the employer and employees alike. But diversity—in this sense, the newsroom— is much more than inclusivity. It can be argued that if our society and communities are changing, then diversity in the newsroom would be about generating coverage on those changing demographics and communities through the eyes of reporters belonging to varying backgrounds in a way that is relevant and fair to their audience. But new data says otherwise. Recent sources claim that U.S newsrooms have gained 40 percent more racially diverse reporters between 2001 and 2018, but is that enough when U.S Census projections indicate that minorities—Hispanics and Asians specifically— will become a majority in the U.S. by 2045.

  

 (Illustration by Free Press, used via creative commons Skin In The Game)

The reality is that newsrooms across the country are in fact lagging behind in diversifying their reporters, the people who cover the very same communities with changing demographics and population trends. This might be problematic in the sense that if the same homogenous mentality is found in newsrooms, one can expect the very same from reporting. This homogenous mindset can lead to the failure to observe critical factors that would’ve potentially serve of importance to a story a specific community could’ve connected with.

An article by the News Media Alliance, written by Rebecca Frank, says that the simple truth is that diverse populations within news organizations helps ensure that most recent coverage of local communities will tell the best possible range of stories that best meet its audience’s needs.

And it makes sense, a diversified viewpoint among reporters can lead to a wider understanding of why and how certain communities work the way the do which can subsequently lead to more thorough, in-depth stories. In correlation with a wider viewing, publishing stories that mirror beliefs and experiences as its audience may help gain public trust among readers, according to Frank.

The solution is more black and white, and more abstract even. Of course, the obvious answer would be to hire more reporters from varying backgrounds. But this might require a more in-depth conversation about race and culture in order to truly understand and appreciate why diversity and inclusivity are more important than what some might seemingly think it is.

It’s easier said than done when it comes to this topic, but it isn’t that way. Diversifying the newsroom across nationwide news media outlets is about a collective effort to seek out new minds and creative writers bold enough to cover the realities of the communities they oversee. It’s also not just about diversifying the newsroom for self-interest sake, but rather about the integrity of the news being covered, and the pursuit of accuracy and truth for the public benefit. If news organizations are to stay relevant, they must adapt.