Creating diverse newsrooms requires more than recruitment. What’s the culture of the organization? What are the plans for retention? Are diverse journalists leading newsroom discussions? How will their unique backgrounds, experiences and perspectives contribute to coverage? Are their opinions valued? The true test of a newsroom’s commitment to diversity is retention. more

In 2016, the Tennessean formed a Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) Task Force, which built a foundation for Black Tennessee Voices’ launch. The D&I group reported on issues related to diversity in staffing and housing and covered other Nashville communities, like the city’s Kurdish population. Black Tennessee Voices now provides a model for newsrooms across the country. more

For too many years, reporting on gender, politics and policy and their effect on overlooked segments of society have not been seen “above the fold.” So the 19th, an independent, nonprofit newsroom, was created and is working hard to push these issues forward. more

Diversity isn't just about numbers. It’s about real people. It’s ongoing, messy and requires candid and sometimes uncomfortable conversations. Moreover, too often, the formal responsibility of diversifying newsrooms rests solely on the shoulders of Human Resources, when it should instead be a priority for everyone in the news organization, including those with “editor” in their job title. more

An intense, 10-day media sales and operations training program is preparing its graduates for immediate advertising and operations sales jobs with major broadcast media companies. And, through its partnership with the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters Foundation and the National Association of Broadcasters, it's helping to bring diversity to the media workforce. more

News Leaders Association has announced a comprehensive update to the former ASNE Diversity Survey, renamed the Transformative Transparency Project. It will provide the numbers, narratives and knowledge to assist news media stakeholders in undertaking reforms that address the lack of newsroom diversity. more

Ten Black newspapers have joined forces to create Word In Black, a platform to “amplify the Black experience by reporting, collecting and sharing stories about real people in communities across our country,” according to its website. more

According to Fred Hiatt, editorial page editor for The Washington Post, diversity has long been a “watchword” for the newspaper industry. But the Post is putting their words into action with its recently launched Voices Across America, a platform that showcases writers from across the country “who are uniquely positioned to provide on-the-ground points of view.” more

Just days before the one-year anniversary of the death of George Floyd in May, USA TODAY introduced a yearlong network project, “Never Been Told: The Lost History of People of Color.” The project is a multimedia series that seeks to “elevate, through deeply reported investigative and explanatory journalism, the people, places and ideas that are often excluded from history books,” according to a press release. more

The Salt Lake Tribune, along with the nonprofit Amplify Utah and Salt Lake Community College (SLCC), have partnered to write and publish stories that highlight the state’s diverse communities and engages with young readers. more

This past year was a remarkable one for women journalists who are breaking barriers and leading the charge in local and national news. Although most of the women on our list of "10 Women to Watch" were recently promoted or hired to their current positions, make no mistake—they have the experience and fortitude to carry their newsrooms and the industry into a bright and successful future.  more

Following a summer of protests against racial injustice, the Sacramento Bee was inspired to launch an Equity Lab, which includes a team of community-funded journalists focused on serving communities neglected by the mainstream media. According to the Lab’s website, it operates with two pillars: producing accountability journalism that will elevate the stories that most affect the livelihood of residents, while “holding people and institutions accountable for fair practices..." more

Following the racial justice uprisings last year, S. Mitra Kalita, the former head of digital programming for CNN and a 2021 Nieman Visiting Fellow, and Sara Lomax-Reese, the president and CEO of WURD Radio, knew they wanted to collaborate on a project to meet the historic moment. From there, URL Media was born as “a decentralized, multi-platform network of high-performing Black and Brown media organizations.” more

After a long history of anti-Black prejudice in media, what would reparations look like? To answer this question by the year 2070, a team of journalists at nonpartisan organization Free Press have come together to launch Media 2070. more

Racist journalism literally cost lives in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina 15 years ago. Racist journalism has allowed police to get away with lying and wrongfully arresting and imprisoning … more

After protests erupted across the nation in response to the killing of George Floyd, a Black Minnesota man who died in police custody, conversations about representation took precedence in newsrooms … more

Ten Black-owned media organizations have joined forces with the Local Media Association (LMA) to launch the Fund for Black Journalism, an initiative to reimagine and support the Black press. The … more

On June 30—the last day of Pride Month—a group of nearly 50 journalists launched the Trans Journalists Association (TJA). The organization offers support for trans journalists in their … more

Following the death of George Floyd (a Minnesotan Black man) on May 25 while in police custody, protests erupted across the nation against racism and police violence. These past weeks have been tumultuous, not only for the public, but also for the media industry as it revealed concerns about the lack of diversity represented in newsrooms around the country. more