At a time when news organizations are focused on matters of sheer economic survival, Poynter’s senior faculty member for visual journalism and diversity, Kenny Irby, says it’s no surprise that newsrooms are experiencing diversity fatigue.  However, Irby says journalists need to change their thinking about the issue. “Ideas about diversity have been so associated with people …

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What happens when a newsroom values diversity?  Reporter Jessica Chapin of KGUN-TV in Tucson, Ariz., says it leads to better storytelling and better decision making. “Tucson is an hour from the border, so diversity in the newsroom and Spanish as a second language is definitely a plus,” Chapin says.  “I’m constantly doing interviews in broken Spanish …

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While the country continues to get more diverse every year,  America’s TV and radio newsrooms are becoming more homogenous. The latest RTDNA/Hofstra University Annual Survey found that, overall, the percentage of minorities in both radio and television fell for the third straight year, although the drop in television was small. “Again, the percentage of minorities in …

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Every year RTDNA and UNITY give out awards to honor “outstanding television, radio and online journalism focused on diversity.” “This year, the winning entries go beyond the basics of diversity coverage and truly embrace the concept of community,” said RTDNA chairman Mark Kraham. “These organizations set a high and apt standard of how diversity coverage should …

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A lot has happened in television news over the past twenty years, not all of it for the good.  But at least one development can be applauded – the network newscasts are featuring more women and minorities as anchors and reporters than ever before. According to the Miller-McCune website, a new study published in Electronic …

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In all the discussion of journalism’s economic troubles and the need to embrace technological change, it can be easy to forget some of the basic tenets of good journalism. Reflecting the community in your coverage is still critical, and the 2009 National RTNDA/UNITY Awards honor a group of broadcasters who have done that extremely well. …

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