Situation Definition:
In the news world, it is extremely necessary for our sources of news to be diverse so we do not receive bias information. Political and social issues in our society need to be conveyed to the public through a neutral perspective, allowing audiences to be educated in a well-rounded way. This can be accomplished by diversity in newsrooms and unbiased news reporting.
Analysis:
The American Society of News Editors employs surveys to acknowledge diversity within US newsrooms. The ASNE does this in order to bring awareness to the importance of diversity within our newsrooms in order to provide the best form of news possible. In 2017 the survey showed that 16.55 percent of employees reported by all newsrooms participating in the survey are minorities. In Isaac Bailey’s scholarly article he mentions the traditional view of journalism and how it has stemmed from a white perspective. “Most of us likely have an image rattling around our brains about what the “best” journalism looks and feels and sounds like. That image is built upon a traditional view. That traditional view was cultivated by white journalists who determined what was the most professional and appropriate dress, tone, and style for the airwaves, and in print,” Bailey states. Cristina Valgeirsson points out how in her scholarly article, Institutional Disconnects as Obstacles to Diversity In Journalism in the United States, that women are more likely to cover stories on minorities. “Female editors were substantially more likely to emphasize demographically representative news coverage (36.4 percent versus 25 percent) and underrepresented views (33.3 percent versus 25 percent) than were their male counterparts,” Valgeirsson states. This finding was concluded by ASNE as well and demonstrates how all stories should be reported by a diverse group of people rather than another minority; women.
Conclusion:
After reading various scholarly articles and researching records of just how diverse US newsrooms are, I realized that there truly is a need to cultivate diversity in not only the news workplace, but every workplace. Obtaining a diverse environment in any company or staff can allow a business to be multi-faceted, flexible, well-rounded, and open-minded. Particularly the importance in newsrooms however, can make way for people of all races, religions, and cultures to influence the information provided to our society.
References:
2017 Survey. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.asne.org/diversity-survey-2017
BAILEY, I. (2018). “WE HAVEN’T FULLY GRAPPLED WITH HOW MUCH WE UNWITTINGLY JUDGE JOURNALISM THROUGH A WHITE LENS”: Newsrooms need to examine biases and decisions about which journalists cover stories about race. Nieman Reports, 72(1), 32–33. Retrieved from http://ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ufh&AN=128189537&site=ehost-live&scope=site
Bodinger-de Uriarte, C., & Valgeirsson, G. (2015). Institutional Disconnects as Obstacles to Diversity in Journalism in the United States. Journalism Practice, 9(3), 399–417. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2014.963367