Top three Diversity Pacesetters

Mountain Home, Laredo and Trenton newspapers show best records in key areas among all circulation categories

Three newspapers under 50,000 circulation have blown away the argument that smaller newspapers can’t succeed in the areas of diversity staffing. In three critical areas, the newspapers led all publications in the ASNE newsroom census reported in April 2006.
 
The three are recognized with the top ASNE Diversity Pacesetter Awards.
 
“Each of these newspapers has done an outstanding job of focusing on diversity,” said Phil Currie, ASNE Diversity Committee chair. “Each should be an inspiration to others showing what can be accomplished.”
 
In addition to recognition as the top ASNE Diversity Pacesetters, each newspaper will receive a $3,000 cash award. The new award is provided by the Gannett Foundation.
 
“We are hopeful that these cash awards will assist the newspapers in continuing their strong recruiting and retention efforts and will help encourage other newspapers to seek to become top performers,” Currie said.
 
The top newspaper in the Diversity Index ratings is The Baxter Bulletin of Mountain Home, Ark. The Baxter Bulletin also leads in the Diversity Index for newspapers 10,001 to 25,000 circulation. (This index compares the percentage of minority staffers to the percentage of minorities in the community. A rating of 100 would equal parity of the two figures.)
 

With 35.7 percent minority staff and 2.9 percent minority population in its area, The Baxter Bulletin gets an outstanding Diversity Index rating of 1231. (For more details on the newspaper’s approach and performance, see Managing Editor Kandra Branam’s comments here).
 
In Percentage of Minorities on Staff, the Laredo (Texas) Morning Times tops all newspapers and also heads the 10,001 to 25,000 circulation category. Laredo reported an outstanding percentage of 73.9 minority staffers. (For more details on the Laredo Morning Times, see comments from Editor Diana Fuentes here).
 
And in Percentage Increase in Minority Staffing, The Trentonian of Trenton, N.J., heads all newspapers with a big jump in minority staffing — from 8.6 percent in the 2005 census report to 28.6 percent in 2006. That’s a 232.6 percent increase. The Trentonian also heads the 25,001 to 50,000 circulation category. (For more details on the The Trentonian, see Interim Editor Matt DeRienzo’s comments here).
 

The charts on this page also show other top performers regardless of their circulation category. Of all these newspapers, only the El Paso (Texas) Times and the Republican-American in Waterbury, Conn., have circulations larger than 50,000.
 
The survey analysis underscores that the smaller newspapers can build diversity on their staffs. It also shows that the larger-circulation newspapers — with more staffers — have room to move further, too.
 
And the Pacesetters in each category have demonstrated well that good progress can be made across the circulation spectrum. The stories of all the leaders in circulation categories can be found beginning here.
 

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