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. more

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. more

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. more

Andrew Ramsammy spends his days on the business side of media doing strategy, partnerships and revenue generation for things like Word In Black and the Knight x LMA BloomLab at the Local Media Association. And, he's usually the lone non-white person in the room.  Business folks, he says, "should get the same attention and support we put into our rallying cry for greater editorial diversity. You can’t have great journalism if you don't have a great business." more

As the publisher and CEO of Afro-American Newspapers, Dr. Frances “Toni” Draper is both a news innovator and a steward of a Baltimore-based family legacy spanning 130 years. Her great-grandfather, John Henry Murphy, started the newspaper 130 years ago with just $200 he borrowed from family members. Today, the Afro-American — or just “The AFRO” — focuses on local news for Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and the suburban-Maryland corridor in between. more

Since the Supreme Court published its opinion reversing Roe v. Wade, the real-world impacts of this decision have been immediate and widespread. But there’s a more insidious impact of this decision that will come to pass over the coming months and years in states that choose to ban abortion: workplace diversity. more

BLCK Press is a collaborative newsroom dedicated to cultivating talented, diverse voices in the media industry. The publication works with ambitious journalists of color to challenge the status quo and give communities of color a platform to be heard. “We see ourselves as a bridge for young journalists of color to be welcomed into a culture where they can learn and grow and gain hands-on experience,” said Georgia Fort, the founder of BLCK Press. more

Before Jennifer Kho got the great news that she was being offered a new job as executive editor of the Chicago Sun-Times, she had decided to stop applying for anything new and focus on building her consulting practice. She reached out to six talented job hunters in journalism to find out what the hiring process has been like for them. From those experiences (and her own) on the job seeker side of the recruitment equation, she learned some critical lessons. more

The nation’s first abolitionist newspaper, The Emancipator, has been reborn as a digital platform to dismantle racist systems. It's using a three-pronged approach to reach its audience. Editorial content will include articles and videos published on the website (and sometimes in the pages of partners, like the Boston Globe). It takes a “social-first” approach, sharing content to encourage conversation, not just sharing links. And it will involve community-based workshops and other events. more

The hiring process can be mysterious, inflexible and full of unpaid labor for candidates. Great talent can be slipping through the cracks just because our current systems for hiring are set up to benefit those who have both the time and money to get through them. Learn why that can be an equity issue. more

“The Great Resignation” created a job market so competitive that candidates are interviewing companies with the same if not more scrutiny than hiring managers. Give yourself and your newsroom an advantage by making the interview process inviting, inclusive and full of opportunities for candidates to shine. more

It is with a bit of bewilderment and sincere regret that I inform you that after now reviewing the many nominations we received in April of 2022 for this year’s inaugural salute for industry editors, not one included anyone of color. I freely admit now, that when I approved and personally released the image and content of the fifteen editors we featured, I was insensitive to that fact. For this, I wish to personally apologize to our readers and to the fifteen deserving editors we featured. You were recognized because you deserve it! And I do hope that you know that the criticism that spread on social media about the lack of diversity within the piece is solely aimed at me and this magazine, not at you! more

Is your newsroom attempting to build a product or intervention geared toward building connections with communities of color? Great! Are you building this product without seeking any input from the target community or assessing how you have covered that community in the past? Then, be prepared to deal with the fact that your effort may fail.  more

As we approach the second anniversary of George Floyd’s death, we must still ask where we are headed with diversity efforts. Diversity takes work and commitment and must come from the top of an organization. Without that, your company will never have an effective long-term approach to recruiting and retention. more

Dr. Sherri Williams, who has led an effort to educate young Black journalists and others to diversify newsrooms, has been honored with the “Journalism Educator of the Year” award by the National Association of Black Journalists. Williams is an assistant professor in race, media and communication at American University and has worked as a newspaper reporter for a decade in three newsrooms, including The Associated Press in Jackson, Mississippi. more

In this 124th episode of “E&P Reports,” Publisher Mike Blinder interviews Larry Graham, founder and executive director of The Diversity Pledge Institute, along with Doris Truong, Director of Training and Diversity at The Poynter Institute, about the importance of achieving more diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) within the news publishing industry and what resources are available now to help executives accomplish those goals. more

Will Sutton is a columnist and editorial writer for the New Orleans Times-Picayune & The Advocate, a Harvard University Nieman Fellow and a member of the NABJ, AEJMC, ONA and SPJ. In 2020 Mr. Sutton penned this OpEd for E&P. more

One of the biggest demands coming from inside newsrooms around diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is for leaders to take ownership of the harm they’ve committed or overseen. They also need to hold themselves accountable for future strategies and behaviors, and their newsrooms teams are asking them to. more

Community newspapers are more likely to succeed with readers, advertisers and the community when all residents’ voices are heard. One of the challenges faced by the News + Record was to determine how to cover the county’s increasing Latinx American population, even though a substantial portion of those potential readers didn’t read or write English. more

A new study — "Who’s At The PrimeTime Table" — reveals that Black women — especially older Black women — are sorely underrepresented as hosts, contributors and experts during the coveted primetime hours at the three major cable news networks. more