Rim Reider argues in the American Journalism Review that media coverage was biased toward Barack Obama because John McCain deserved the negative coverage he got.
FOX New’s Shepard Smith agreed:
Generation Y (roughly our current under-30 generation) deals with diversity much better than older generations because it grew up among many different cultures, races and lifestyles at school and has been similarly exposed through television and the Web. They don’t want to talk about race all the time, but they notice and can respond negatively to the lack of it. (Howe and Strauss)
Donna Ladd, June 6, 2008
The following diversity concerns and suggestions came from conversations with AAN and mainstream editors and media-diversity experts, as well as from my own experiences. Please be in touch with further concerns and suggestions we should add to the list.
1. “I have troubling finding qualified candidates of color.”
Diversity media experts say the answer is “pipeline.” That is, you have to actively seek out a diverse pipeline of potential employees. You do this by reaching out to local colleges, communities of color, even business and civic leaders in the community who might send their kids to you to intern, or suggest others. Join advisory boards at local ethnic colleges; volunteer to speak to classes to motivate young people one-on-one to seek out a career in the alternative press. Watch the alternative press for staffers with potential. Also, don’t forget the AAN diversity grants to help you fund interns during their training period. Watch local ethnic press for potential employees or partnerships.
I often hear editors say that they can use some cold, hard numbers to help them argue the need to get support to more deliberately pursue diversity in hiring, coverage and newsrooms culture. Here is a random list of “evidence” I’ve used in diversity talks, starting with a bit of a “duh” statement from Keith Woods of Poynter, one of my favorite media-diversity evangelists:
“[I]f most of the country’s traditional news outlets have a prayer of maintaining their relevance over the coming decades, they will need to make drastic strides in understanding and reflecting the country’s emerging ethnic and racial diversity.”
— Keith Woods, Poynter Institute Read more…
Welcome to altDiversity.com, a blog by Jackson Free Press editor Donna Ladd and Gustavo Arellano, the diversity chair and co-chair of the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. In addition to blogging about media diversity, we are gathering resources to help media outlets in the alternative press and beyond diversify their staffs and content, and to allow both media and media consumers to comment on the diversity they see, and don’t see, in the media. Our mission is to provide a one-stop blog for media outlets that are looking for tips and resources about media diversity, and to promote discussion about this very vital issue.
Need more information or advice on the site or media diversity? E-mail ladd (at) jacksonfreepress (dot)com.
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