Diversity in PR and News

Emma Skidmore

es320518@ohio.edu

 

The term "diversity" should be straightforward. It means that everyone - no matter what race, age or gender - should have a seat at the table and a voice in the conversation. However, with race becoming an increasingly prominent issue in the United States, the execution of diversity and inclusion programs have some problems. Diversity in the newsroom is important because it affects the kind of coverage your publication has. More voices in the room is a good thing, and I think that's something the majority of journalists can agree on. However, that doesn't change the fact that statistically, employees in newsrooms are largely white and male, according to a 2018 Pew Research study. 

Picture source: https://stearns.wordpress.com/2015/09/15/beyond-the-numbers-media-diversity-and-local-news/

Diversity in News

In an article written by Jelani Cobb for The Guardian, he explains how race can affect the perspective you are writing from as a journalist. He recounts a story in which a journalist perpetuated the angle that in the case of neighborhood robberies, it's not worth it to take on any risks for just a few dollars. Cobb explains that those few dollars could have been that person's only way to work, and they fought back in order to secure a future paycheck. Fighting back could also be a way to prevent a future robbery from happening by not making yourself seem like an easy target. "The people who are most likely to appear in these kinds of stories are the least likely to have a say in how those stories are told," he wrote. 

This is an example where a journalist was writing about an issue where they didn't fully understand the complexities of it, and that affected the way they decided to present the information. Cobb also acknowledges that people who have these kinds of experiences in their every day life think about them much differently than say a more affluent person. However, I believe it is a baseline value of journalism to tell the full story and give context. In this way, you prevent leaving crucial voices out of the story and give the fullest, most informative picture possible. True, it is impossible to fully understand a life outside of your own, simply because you haven't lived it, but that does not negate the responsibility you have as a journalist to hear from all sides.

Journalists can also play a role in perpetuating harmful stereotypes based on race and gender. Dawn Turner writes for Nieman Reports that a factor in this issue is the 24/7 cycle, requiring that content always be new as she references the phrase "what bleeds leads." Turner writes that this causes news outlets to perpetually focus on issues of crime that disproportionately affect minority communities and portrays them negatively. This stereotype is perpetuated through these kinds of stories, even when crime rates are drastically lower than they ever were. 

The American Press Institute acknowledges that diversity is a journalism imperative on their website, and says that journalism should be produced for all. It also recognizes that readers pay attention to content that aligns with their identity, and diversity is important to reach multiple audiences. An article written by Stephen Frost for Forbes, illustrates that more diversity will result in better reporting by having more points of reference and will therefore decrease mistakes. He also writes that minority populations should not be forced to conform to the majority and it is up to newsrooms themselves to do the adapting. 

Picture source: https://prsay.prsa.org/2017/08/02/observe-diversity-inclusion-month-2017-in-august/

Diversity in PR

In a video by PR Week, Black people spoke about their experiences in PR and what it was like for them. Andrew McCaskill, senior vice president of Global Communications and Multicultural Marketing Nielsen, recalls times where he was the only or the first person of color in the room. He says that it took him 15 years to find another Black man in his position that he could view as a mentor. Others interviewed in this video spoke about how their race could influence how much work they got and to what degree they were taken seriously in their jobs. 

What stood out to me was their discussion of diversity quotas. Some discussed how these quotas shouldn't operate how they do, not because diversity isn't important, but that's just because it's the way it should be. A company shouldn't have to implement quotas, diversity should be the standard. However, some felt that quotas were at least an opportunity for them to be a part of the conversation and offer their insight. 

PRSA says on their website that their Diversity and Inclusion committee is dedicated to,"building consciousness by increasing visibility of D&I standards, resources and best practices for racial, ethnic, religious, sexual orientation and gender differences, as well as diverse skill sets, mindsets and cultures at all levels of the organization." They also include links to information about Diversity Awards and PRSA Diversity and inclusion month. 

What's the Solution?

In my opinion, the solution to including more diversity in newsrooms and PR agencies is to realize that there are only positive impacts. It will produce better content and, as journalists, we should be focused on producing and writing the best content possible. Our job is to inform the public, and we can't fully do that without having a multitude of people from varying backgrounds involved. It's important to focus on practical ways to increase diversity and look internally to see what you could be doing differently yourself. Diversity and inclusion should by no means be performative, as in just hiring people for the sole purpose to meet a quota. Listen to people who are different from you and realize that it can only make you better.