The Post-Star, Glens Falls, N.Y.

DIVERSITY INDEX 25,001 to 50,000 CIRCULATION  [Chart]

Ken Tingley
Managing Editor        
Greg Brownell
Sports Editor
The Post-Star, Glens Falls, N.Y.
 
Please describe your approach to increasing diversity in your newsroom. As a small newspaper with almost no minority population in our market, diversity has not been a high priority for us. Still, we realize the value of having a diverse staff and have participated in intern programs, including through our sports department. We are a member of the Associated Press Sports Editors, which helps fund the Sports Journalism Institute. SJI has done a tremendous job of bringing candidates with diverse backgrounds into sports journalism. We’ve tried to make contact with members of that program and make them aware of opportunities at our newspaper.
 
What is the toughest obstacle to success and how have you worked to overcome it? We are a small newspaper in a rural area that is not very diverse, by national standards. It is sometimes difficult to attract candidates with diverse backgrounds. We’ve tried to reach out to minority candidates through SJI and use of various job Web sites. We have also tried to make sure candidates succeed by being aware that they may have different challenges to overcome in our community.
 
What are the benefits/paybacks of greater diversity? Diversity, in any sense of the word, is always good. As editors, having a diverse staff exposes us to a greater variety of life experiences and viewpoints. And even though our minority community is small, having diversity sends a great message to the community and the few minority community members.
 
How does greater diversity in your newsroom affect content? It is in very subtle ways that are often hard to measure with a reporter suggesting angles to a story that we might not have thought about before.
 
What advice do you have for editors seeking to improve diversity in their newsrooms? Don’t wait for a job opening before you think about diversity. Look for ways to make contact with potential candidates ahead of time, or at least make them aware of your newspaper. Having interns is a great way to attract young journalists and show them that they can make a difference. When you do get such candidates or hires, take extra time to make sure they succeed and give the support they need.

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