Diversity Should Be Prime Factor in Reshaping American Newsrooms
As the news industry continues to face dramatic change, protecting and advancing diversity should be of prime consideration in executive decisions to reshape the future of American journalism, said UNITY: Journalists of Color in a press release issued today.
Recent cutbacks — including layoffs, buyouts and reductions in travel budgets for training and professional development — have hit journalists of color hard.
UNITY: Journalists of Color is an alliance advocating news coverage about people of color comprised of the Asian American Journalists Association, National Association of Black Journalists, National Association of Hispanic Journalists and the Native American Journalists Association — together representing more than 10,000 journalists of color.
A new digital age of journalism is emerging from an increasingly diverse America, and media companies need to develop talent within their newsrooms, especially those individuals that come from communities of color representing that change,” said UNITY President Karen Lincoln Michel. “Instead of putting diversity on the back burner, news organizations should bolster efforts to retain, mentor and promote their talented journalists of color while recruiting potential staff members of color for their digital and online operations.”
At its recent fall board meeting, UNITY — whose alliance partners are the Asian American Journalists Association, the National Association of Black Journalists, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and the Native American Journalists Association — resolved to call upon industry leaders to recognize the importance of preserving diversity.
In addition, UNITY plans to draw attention to the positive role diversity plays in ensuring fair and accurate news coverage, and encourages news organizations to join UNITY and its alliance partners in actively protecting and advancing diversity.
“UNITY views this seismic change as an opportunity for journalists of color to assist the news industry in redefining a new journalism for American readers, viewers and listeners,” said Lincoln Michel. “We plan to keep this message in the forefront, and look forward to featuring such dialogue at the UNITY ‘08 convention in July.”
