Diversity Within the News Industry

 Danielle Smith

ds006019@ohio.edu

Photo Courtesy of the British Council  

Over the past century, media has played a vital role in advocating for diversity and inclusiveness in life. Still, while they focus on equal representation, they fail to focus on the lack of diversity within their industry. When looking at the demographics that represent members of the news industry, we can find that an overwhelming majority of the industry consists of white individuals. For example, a study conducted by the Pew Research Center showed that non-Hispanic white men could account for 48% of the news industry, which has resulted in the media being one of the least diverse industries in the United States. While this is an issue on its own, it is truly detrimental to the representation of minorities throughout America, as they are heavily outweighed within the media. 

Representation of minorities throughout the news is vital concerning the accuracy and validity of the media. When pursuing a story, it must be analyzed from different perspectives to prevent bias and accurately represent the subject it reflects upon. Without different demographics compromising the news industry, there is no way that it could realistically represent the many different demographics that make up the United States. For this reason, is it crucial that the media focuses on diversity within their industry, or else the lack of equal representation will continue to misrepresent the struggles and sentiments of minorities?

To better represent the sentiments of all Americans, the news industry must analyze all demographics to create a team of diverse individuals that can represent the many different groups that make up America. While race and gender are often the factors that contribute the most to bias within the news, many other demographics, such as age, sexuality, religion, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and gender identity, can misrepresent minorities' struggles.

Over the past year, newsrooms have worked to create teams that include a wide range of demographics to represent better the people they are reporting on. For example, an article published by Poynter regarding the recent increase in diversity reveals that, of the many newsrooms surveyed, four out of five employees believe that the more diverse their team has become, the more reflective their stories are. Greater diversity within the news industry allows the sentiments of all demographics throughout America to be represented without bias or ignorance, which is why it is vital to the integrity of journalism.