The Charlotte Area Association of Black Journalists (CAABJ) is an affiliate chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), a nonprofit organization focused on establishing strong ties among African-Americans working in the media and expanding and balancing the media's coverage of the African-American community and experience.
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April 7, 2011

America’s Newsrooms Fail to Match U.S. Diversity

The following news was released today from the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ).

The latest survey of journalists of color in newspaper and online newsrooms was released underscoring a widening diversity gap in terms of reflecting America, said officials of the National Association of Black Journalists.

The results of ASNE’s annual diversity survey show journalists of color – and especially African American staffers - in newspaper and online newsrooms declined for the third year in a row, from 5,500 to 5,300, though overall, according to the survey of full-time journalists conducted since 1978.


Especially hard hit are black journalists. ASNE noted that “there were 929 fewer black journalists in the 2010 survey than were recorded in 2001,” a drop off of 31.5 percent.

“Study after study shows diversity has taken a hit and now it is just being completely abandoned by news organizations in some of the most diverse cities in this country,” said NABJ President Kathy Y. Times. “Diversity is being ignored.”

The percentage of minorities in newsrooms totaled 12.79 percent, a decline of .47 percentage points from a year ago. Asian Americans dropped from 3.27 percent in 2010 to 3.10 in 2011; African Americans from 4.88 percent in 2010 to 4.68 in 2011; Hispanics from 4.63 percent in 2010 to 4.54 in 2011, and Native Americans constant at .48 percent.

The census showed 441 newspapers had no minorities on their full-time staff. This number has been growing since 2006.

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