Last Updated: May 20, 1999
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Diversity
Roundtables abound with ideas
Venting was pushed to the bottom of the agenda at ASNE’s three diversity
roundtables this fall. The priority at the sessions was ideas — fresh,
creative approaches to building newsrooms that look like America, and as
a New York Times editor noted, “knows America in all of its variety from
first-hand experience.”
About 150 editors, journalism educators, newsroom professionals, media
foundation executives and others participated in the roundtables in Detroit,
San Antonio, and Arlington, Va., in late November and early December.
Recommendations from the roundtables will be reviewed by a committee
composed of ASNE officers, Diversity Committee members, and leaders from
APME, which has pledged support of the post-2000 diversity mission statement.
APME and ASNE plan to work together on newsroom diversity initiatives.
A proposed action plan to implement the new mission statement will be considered
by the ASNE board at its April meeting.
Lots of ideas were offered at the roundtables. In Detroit, where the
first session was held Nov. 21 following a job fair, 30 participants focused
on hiring and recruitment initiatives. The group urged the industry to
develop a multimedia marketing plan to attract minority youth. Among the
suggestions:
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Produce a career video for distribution to schools.
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Sponsor contests to generate interest in specific journalism careers.
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Publish a high school journalism workbook.
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Promote role models for young people interested in journalism careers.
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Increase significantly industry’s involvement with high school newspapers.
In San Antonio, nearly 60 participants focused on ways to significantly
expand the “pipeline” of minority students interested in journalism careers.
Proposals offered at the Dec. 4 meeting were:
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Recruit more aggressively at community colleges .
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Increase and strengthen campus newspapers at historically black colleges
and other journalism schools with high minority enrollment
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Develop a training institute for non-journalism majors.
At the Dec. 8 roundtable on newsroom culture/retention and promotion, participants
proposed awards to recognize newsrooms for innovations, and that ASNE publish
an annual “best practices” report and track retention, promotion and rank
of minorities and women in newsrooms.
For full reports on the recommendations from the roundtables, check
ASNE’s Web site at http://www.asne.org/kiosk/diversity/roundtables.htm.
— Veronica T. Jennings
