Latest E&P "Exclusive" on Diversity

Disabilities in media: Overcoming obstacles and achieving success

Dave Stevens is the only legless player in sports history to have played NCAA football and minor league baseball. The seven-time Emmy-winning sports journalist is now a motivational speaker and television host as he nears 40 years in broadcasting. While he says the media industry has come a long way in terms of inclusivity, he adds: "we still have a long way to go in this and other aspects of society."
Recent E&P "Diversity Spotlight Exclusives"

Pittsburgh newsrooms collaborate to improve DEIB

Distrust between Pittsburgh's diverse communities and the media is a significant problem identified in an American Press Institute pilot program, which implemented an Inclusion Index developed by Letrell Deshan Crittenden, Ph.D. A Jan. 24 event at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center in Pittsburgh drew media and community members who spoke about improving coverage.

Why are we stalling when it comes to DEI?

Countless studies demonstrate that DEI has the potential to increase sales revenue, increase customer base and ultimately increase profits. DEI is not only the right thing to do; it’s good business sense. So, why are we hitting a pause with progress?  

Newmark J-school launches Asian Media Initiative

The Center for Community Media at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism is taking a major step forward in promoting diversity in the media industry with the launch of the Asian Media Initiative. The program, aimed at increasing the representation of Asian Americans in media and journalism, will provide opportunities for students, journalists and aspiring media professionals to gain the skills and resources necessary to succeed in the competitive field of journalism.

Things I've learned about equity and diversity in local media, from a MAWG (aka, middle-aged white guy)

How can white people, which the publisher of this very publication will tell you dominate the traditional media industry channels and gatherings, do more than unwind generations of racism and exploitative coverage — instead, actively contribute to restoring justice and equity? John Heaston says he doesn’t have the answers, but hopes the points in today's column can help.

AL DÍA going national with its focus on Latino Americans

Martin Alfaro’s promotion to general manager at AL DÍA­ marked the start of his new year.  “I found a unique space and a huge opportunity,” Alfaro says of his new role. That unique space is the audience AL DÍA captures, and that opportunity he mentioned is creating content that some publications lack.

Journalists are routinely vilified on social media and the beat, with women enduring the brunt of the abuse

There were 25 organized troll campaigns targeting women reporters in the first half of 2020, according to Ms. Magazine. Additionally, the magazine cited 267 attacks and threats, with many mentioning women’s appearance and sexuality, including death and rape warnings. Here are three steps supervisors should be taking to better protect women journalists.

Nonprofit collaborations provide the resources for deep work

Nonprofit news collaborations deepen investigative work, amplify quality journalism and connect for-profit news organizations to new funding streams. Lisa Yanick Litwiller, director of audience at the Center for Public Integrity, said collaborations give journalists the resources for the deep work that drew many journalists to the industry in the first place.

Managing your management stress is essential to achieving DEI

Are you afraid of the perception of others or have some irrational fear of ineptness? Perhaps you’re intimidated or worried that you won’t be able to relate to or have honest conversations with someone who doesn’t look, sound or think as you do. If so, please know that it's simply an illusion. Competency, ambition, hard work, instinct and ability aren’t tethered to gender, ethnicity, age or cultural background.

Diversity isn’t a quota system; it’s a value system

Since The Diversity Pledge Institute launched in 2021, it has placed dozens of journalists in newsrooms across the globe — and none of them have quit their jobs yet. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, it can cost a company up to nine months of an employee's salary to replace an employee who quits. However, the business case for diversity extends beyond the costs of recruiting and training.

More "Diversity Spotlight"
MORE E&P "Exclusives" on Diversity
Members of the LGBTQ+ community want reporting to reflect reality; the community is diverse, vast and full of positivity. Hanging on to stereotypes can have detrimental implications because the problems faced by those who do not fit that mold are often overlooked.
Ryan Sorrell and his team at The Kansas City Defender rely on two methods to reach young people. First, they know that each social media platform has a different ethos, so they personalize content for each brand. Second, they have a broad content mix, blending hard news and culture stories with headlines such as “10 Best Black-Owned Restaurants.”
Promises made in 2020 created headwinds, but not nearly enough of the transformative change we need to see on TV screens, in newspapers, on airwaves and in the rooms where decision-making happens. The bottom line is this: The coverage you provide and the communities you prioritize reflect how you truly embrace diversity.
For the past few years, there has been an emphasis on increased diversity and inclusion efforts across all industries. Journalism outlets have responded through various avenues: crafting statements of commitment, offering workshops and training, developing source trackers and inclusion indexes and engaging with survey work. However, these initiatives still fall into the same traps that have stifled growth and understanding in this area.
If Dr. Jelani Cobb could gather everyone into his Columbia University lecture hall, he would speak on journalism’s role in democracy during political turbulence and how journalism came to function in tandem with democracy. “I think that’s a question that has renewed salience,” he said.
Industry News on Diversity
A former Democrat and Chronicle editor who was among employees who lost a job during a round of layoffs at Gannett alleges in a lawsuit that he was terminated because he is white.
About half of Americans (49%) say they have listened to a podcast in the past year, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. This share is roughly consistent across racial and ethnic groups, but Black podcast listeners tend to turn to podcasts about certain topics more frequently and listen to them for different reasons than listeners of other racial and ethnic backgrounds.
A new book from a University of Kansas professor shares unique stories of social justice, activism and diversity in American journalism history and incorporates multimedia to bring history to life for younger generations.
The Uproot Project aims to address that coverage gap by supporting journalists of color who have been underrepresented in the field of climate change and the environment, and to bring new perspectives and spotlight environmental justice stories.
The National Press Club, the world's leading professional organization for journalists, has chosen Amaya Collier of Austin, Texas, as the winner of its 2023 Julie Schoo Scholarship for Diversity in Journalism. The award for graduating high school seniors totals as much as $20,000 over four years.
Poynter Diversity Training
The last year for which the News Leaders Association has published industry-wide diversity data is 2019.
This competitive program has transformed the careers of more than 500 people in news media and tech. It is designed for women and nonbinary journalists who directly manage people and are within their first five years of formal leadership experience.
This is an interactive, virtual training for newsroom leaders who manage big responsibilities — such as processes, products or platforms — but no direct reports.
With the support of expert instructors and fellow journalists of color, develop the confidence and skills to share your unique perspective in persuasive writing.