AA? What AA? After 25 years of trying, US media still fails diversity test

[Tingkai]

Come on Wraith. Guys like you and Gomer just want to deny that racism exists. You can't accept the facts.

We have eliminated the other factors, you just refuse to acknoledge it. You simply stick your head in the ground and deny that racism exists.

In answer to your question there are no daily newspapers operating in all-white communities, at least by your strict definition simply because all of the communities have visible minorities.

Of 1,448 daily newspapers were surveyed.
530 have all-white newsrooms and of these only 162 (about 30 per cent) are in communities where visible minorities make up less than five per cent of the community. For these communities, Che's theory is applicable.

But in 204 newspapers (about 40 per cent) are operating in communities where more than 10 per cent of the population are visible minorities. 88 newspapers with white-only editorial staff are in communities where visible minorities make up more than 25 per cent of the population.

The remainder are in communities where visible minorities make up 6-9 per cent of the population. I have left these out of the equation because it is rather debatable about whether such communities are "all-white" and debatable about whether a newspaper should be expected to achieve parity at this level.

Now I know what you're going to say. "There's still no evidence because (insert new excuse here).

Why can't you just accept that racism is influencing hiring decision among American newspapers.

Or will you stick your head back into the ground?

[chequita guevara]

Actually, Tingkai, what I was trying to get at was that the vast majority of the United States is lily-white, in terms of land area and number of communities. Minorities (visible and otherwise) are not widely distrubted, being confined to large cities, the South, Indian reservations, and the border area with Mexico. Minorities aren't necessarily going to feel comfortable moving to Cody, Wyoming to take a job at newspaper there.

There's very few people with whom they can relate. It took me years to get my SO comfortable with the idea of leaving Chicago (63% minority) for a city and state with a much smaller percentage of Black people (Portland, OR and Seattle, WA,--to neither of which we moved--and she wasn't too keen on Jacksonville, FL which is only 25% minority).

Now, this is definately because she is afraid of racism (and with good reason), but it isn't necessarily racism on the part of perspective employers. When we walked into a resteraunt in Makokata, Iowa a few years back, every conversation stopped and everyone turned and looked at us. Our *sses were out the door in seconds. The less said about our adventures in Idaho, the better.

[Wraith]

--"Come on Wraith. Guys like you and Gomer just want to deny that racism exists."

Where did I deny it exists? I said specifically that some of those cases probably are racism. What I have a problem with is your blanket condemnation of the entire industry based on a few samples. It's just as bad as someone condemning all blacks for the anti-semitism of Farahkan. You simply cannot blame the whole for the actions of the few, and you obviously missed the point of my mentioning the boy who cried wolf. When you make such overblown claims you make it far less likely that anyone's going to listen to you whether you've got a point or not.

--"But in 204 newspapers (about 40 per cent)"

So, by your numbers, we're talking less than half of these that might warrant further investigation. You still haven't addressed any other issues (how many journalism schools in the area, their population, PR and broadcasting jobs in the area, etc).

--"Or will you stick your head back into the ground?"

No, but I'll suggest that you've got your head stuck so far up your ass you may as well finish crawling in and disappear.

Look, I'm running short on patience right now. I do notice that your profile lists your occupation as editor. For some reason I think you've got a bug up your butt on this for personal reasons. Don't spew hate at a whole group just because someone's pissed you off in the past.

Hmm... blaming a whole category for the actions of a few of its members? Why does that sound so familiar? {/Sarcasm}

Wraith
Never underestimate the power of very stupid people in large groups

[TCO]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
Actually, Tingkai, what I was trying to get at was that the vast majority of the United States is lily-white, in terms of land area and number of communities. Minorities (visible and otherwise) are not widely distrubted, being confined to large cities, the South, Indian reservations, and the border area with Mexico. Minorities aren't necessarily going to feel comfortable moving to Cody, Wyoming to take a job at newspaper there.

Che if you make your point several times and explain it step by step, Tingkai will understand. He's a little slow on analogies or more complex thoughts, so spell it out. He can get it then.

[TCO]

Originally posted by Tingkai
And he seems to have developed a fondness for his latest label relating to Giancarlo. Let's see, IIRC Giancarlo is a Spanish homosexual who hates homosexuals while I'm a Canadian hetrosexual who does not hate homosexuals. Giancarlo gained infamy for sending photos of himself to other posters, something I have never done. Yup, I can see the similarities.

Oh don't get your panties all bunched up. I'm not questioning your sexuality. (Do try to follow threads of argument, dear Tingkai...). Maybe Wiglaf or Faded Glory would be better comparisons...

[Caligastia]

Giancarlo is/was also well known for being a right-wing idealogue.

Thats why Tingkai is truly a left-wing version of Giancarlo.


WhiteElephants said it best:


You are a politically correct wrecking ball run amok.

[Tingkai]

Originally posted by Wraith
Where did I deny it exists? I said specifically that some of those cases probably are racism. What I have a problem with is your blanket condemnation of the entire industry based on a few samples.

Did you read my last message?

This is what I said at the end of my last message: "Are all newspapers racist. No. But the evidence indicates racism is affecting hiring decisions at a large number of newspapers."

That's hardly a blanket condemnation.

Originally posted by Wraith
So, by your numbers, we're talking less than half of these that might warrant further investigation.

No, about half of the newspapers with an all-white news team have a lame excuse for not hiring visible minorities. That doesn't mean that racism is not affecting their hiring decisions. It does not mean that these newspapers do not warrant further investiation.

Originally posted by Wraith
Actually, Tingkai, what I was trying to get at was that the vast majority of the United States is lily-white, in terms of land area and number of communities. ... Minorities aren't necessarily going to feel comfortable moving to Cody, Wyoming to take a job at newspaper there.

The lily white excuse doesn't hold up to scrutiny.

Just because a newspaper is in a lily white town does not mean that it is impossible for the newspaper to hire a visible minority. In fact, quite the opposite.

In the Globe survey, of the top 20 newspapers, ranked by parity score, 14 are in communities where visible minorities make up less than 5 per cent of the population. And among the top 35, only two newspapers are in towns with more than 10 per cent visible minority.

In other words, these newspapers have been able to hire visible minorities in predominately lily white towns.

Consider Wyoming (no listing for Cody), but 10 per cent of news team at The News-Record in Gillette, WY. are visible minorities in a town where 6 per cent of the town are visible minorities. Two other Wyoming papers are at parity.

Yet the Riverton Rocket has an all-white news staff even through 25 per cent of the community are visible minorities.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in Wisconson has achieved parity as has the Des Moines Register.

There is simply no correlation between operating in a lily white community and not being able to hire visible minorities.

Newspapers with an all-white staff, or predominately all-white staff are spread out across the country.

There is also indications that three newspapers have racist hiring decisions against whites. The Silver City Daily Press & Independent, NM does not have any whites on staff even through half of the community is white. Neither does The Journal, Martinsburg, WV or the Las Vegas Optic, NM.

The Journal is quite odd because none of its staff are white, yet it serves a community where only 9.5 per cent are visible minorities and it has a circulation of about 19,000. That indicates racism is a factor in the Journal's hiring decisions.

[Jon Miller]

so the higher the ammount of minorities

the less they are employed by the media

hmm

there has to be some reason for this

Jon Miller

[Imran Siddiqui]

Can we please get stats for how many minorities are in the Top 10% of their respective journalism majors in university? Perhaps that can be an adequate explination. If they don't perform as highly as whites, then you have an answer.

[Tingkai]

Why? Are you suggesting that the graduates who finished in the top 40 to 11 per cent of their class are not qualified to work at a small or medium-sized daily newspaper?

According to the ASNE, in 1999, 6,225 visible minorities graduated from Master degree journalism programs in the US. Assuming 25 per cent go into print journalism (and there are indications that this is the trend) that's about 1,500 potential candidates. Add in the BA graduates (5,525 x 25% = about 1400). So that's a pool of about 2,900 visible minority candidates every year for about 1,500 daily newspapers in the US.

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Tingkai
Assuming 25 per cent go into print journalism (and there are indications that this is the trend)

What reason is there to "assume" that is the trend here? If you are going to lay an accussation of this level against an entire industry, it would help you to not base it on assumptions.

[Tingkai]

That's based on studies by the American Society of Newspaper Editors that has found that about 25 per cent of minority journalist end up pursuing a career in print journalism. For whatever reason, the majority of minority journalists prefer a broadcast career.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Why? Are you suggesting that the graduates who finished in the top 40 to 11 per cent of their class are not qualified to work at a small or medium-sized daily newspaper?

I'd think they'd prefer to have those 10% and above, wouldn't you?

[Tingkai]

Imran: I don't think the small dailies are able to compete for the top 10 per cent. Medium-sized dailies would still be considered a stepping stone for the top 10 per cent.

A 1997 study found that: "26.6 percent of the minorities had an A average, compared to 33.7 percent of the whites."

However, in terms of the people hired by daily newspapers:

16.6 percent of the minorities had an A average, compared to 35.6% of the whites.

That study concludes that minorities graduates who majored in print journalism are less prepared to compete in the job market, although it would be wrong to conclude that they are completely unprepared.

57.1 percent of the minorities had taken [print] internships, compared to 62.9 percent of the whites.

63.3 percent of the minorities had worked for a college newspaper, compared to 74.8 percent of the whites.

I don't think those number are significantly different. The same goes for this statement:

A greater portion of the white print journalism majors (58.5 percent) sought jobs with daily newspapers than did minorities (53.7 percent). Daily newspapers, however, offered jobs to the same portion of minority print journalism majors (43.9 percent) as they did to whites (43.5 percent).

http://www.asne.org/kiosk/diversity/numbers.htm

The following will give many of you a field day, even though the conclusions are problematic.

The study cited above concludes:

Journalism/mass communications schools are graduating about 750 minority print journalism grads a year.

Compared to non-minorities, in general minorities seeking jobs at daily newspapers are less likely to have majored in journalism, taken internships or worked on college papers, and their grade point average is lower than whites’ who apply.

Newspapers hire similar proportions of the minority and non-minority print journalism majors, even though a slightly lower proportion of minority print journalism majors apply to newspapers for jobs.