Diversity in the Newsroom

Madeline Harden 

mh361519@ohio.edu

Photo by: iStock by Getty Images

According to a Pew study, newsroom employees are more likely to be white and male than U.S. workers overall. However, the younger generation of journalists is shifting the numbers and showing greater racial, ethnic, and gender diversity than their older colleagues. 

Journalists are tasked with sharing the stories of the community they serve. To accurately recount these stories and do them justice, those reporting on storied must reflect the demographics of the communities they cover. A particular quote from Jelani Cobb in an opinion piece for The Guardian stood out to me: "The people who are most likely to appear in these kinds of stories are the least likely to have a say in how these stories are told." That is entirely true, especially by the numbers. I would even argue that it is unethical to cover a story of a community that you, as a reporter, know very little about. 

Journalists have to serve their community and share information correctly. However, I think we all need to recognize our implicit biases and shortcomings when reporting on sensitive issues in an unknown community. 

This dilemma reminded me of the recent coverage of The Plains in The Washington Post when Joe Burrow was destined to play in the Super Bowl, wherein the coverage was highly reductive of Appalachia, and it was clear the reporter knew very little about the community. But, of course, this kind of reporting is harmful and not correct. That happens because the reporter comes from outside the community without learning about the inside complexities. 

I would say that all newsroom staff should get training on diversity, sensitivity, and implicit bias. Journalists are master investigators and need to learn how to see past stereotypes and reach a less surface-level understanding of the topics they cover. One of the essential codes in the SPJ code of ethics is to minimize harm; it is our responsibility to recognize our duty to serve the community and take every step to that in the best way possible. 

A good newsroom needs to be filled with people from all walks of life, offering more opportunities to happen. The communities deserve to have their stories told with extreme care and consideration and that requires a diverse newsroom with multiple perspectives on that community.