Newspaper Diversity Numbers Show Industry is Going Backwards; NABJ Frustrated Over Lack of Results

Once again, the U.S. newspaper industry has earned a failing grade when it comes to hiring and retaining black
journalists and other journalists of color and continues to come up short on its own goal of newsroom parity, a look at the recent nationwide newsroom census shows.

While the rate of growth of minorities in America has increased, the rate of change of journalists of color in U.S. newsrooms is slowing down, according to the annual survey released by the American Society of Newspaper Editors. More newspapers than ever employ no journalists of color and those who do are falling even further behind the rapid changes in the diversity of the U.S. population.

The National Association of Black Journalists views the numbers with frustration, worried that the top newspaper editors across the country "can't seem to match their intentions and platitudes celebrating a diverse workforce with results that fundamentally move the needle."

"At the rate we're going -- less than a 1/2 percentage point gain each year -- newspapers don't have a chance at reaching their parity goals for at least 40 years," said Bryan Monroe, NABJ president and assistant vice president for news at Knight Ridder. "Despite the words of American newspaper editors, the deeds are just not measuring up."

ASNE had originally set a goal of parity -- a newsroom workforce that matches the makeup of America -- by 2000. It has since revised that goal, moving the target year to 2025. However, at the current rate of change, the goal of parity nationwide won't be reached until at least 2050, long after most current editors have retired or died.

Nationwide, in 2006 newspapers employed only 65 more black newsroom professionals -- reporters, copy editors, photographers and editors -- than they did in 2005. Overall, the percentage of journalists of color working in newsrooms barely changed, moving from 13.42 percent to 13.87 percent.

The report highlighted that while some newspapers have been able to deliver real change on diversity in the newsroom, others -- including comparable newspapers in similar demographic and geographic areas -- have failed in their efforts.

For instance, in Florida, the South Florida Sun Sentinel has delivered remarkable change over the past few years, showing a dramatic increase in newsroom diversity from 14.9 percent in 1998 to 29 percent in 2006. Meanwhile, The Tampa Tribune, a similar sized paper on the other side of the state, showed barely any change, going from 8.2 percent in 1998 to 8.5 percent in 2006.

In California, the San Jose Mercury News has consistently delivered on a commitment to a diverse workforce, growing their minority workforce from 25.8 percent in 1998 to 32.7 percent in 2006. During the same period, however, the San Francisco Chronicle, barely 50 miles north with similar demographics, actually went backwards in its newsroom workforce of color, dropping from 20.7 percent in 1998 to 15.2 percent in 2006.

"At the end of the day, it comes down to leadership," said Ernie Suggs, NABJ vice president for print and a reporter at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "We can't understand that where one paper can change, others are stuck in the mud. I guess some folks talk, others deliver results."

NABJ will consider these and other issues of newsroom diversity at its 31st Annual Convention and Career Fair, Aug. 16-20 in Indianapolis.

Registration and sponsorship information can be found at http://www.nabj.org/.

An advocacy group established in 1975 in Washington, D.C., NABJ is the largest organization of journalists of color in the nation, with nearly 4,000 members, and provides educational, career development and support to black journalists worldwide.