This page was published on 11/28/22
Newsroom diversity has long been recognized as critical to the mission of local news. However, gathering an accurate understanding of diversity in newsrooms has proven a difficult undertaking due to low response rates.
In 2022, Elon University’s NC Local News Workshop and UNC’s Center for Innovation and Sustainability in Local Media partnered on a diversity audit of North Carolina’s newsrooms. The audit is an outgrowth of the Workshop’s Media Equity Project.
- About 70% of staff in participating newsrooms were white, consistent with similar surveys of newsrooms.
- More than 40% of respondents working at news organizations earn less than $50,000 per year.
- 30% of respondents said they had some kind of disability, but only a few had sought accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
- Recommendations for journalism employers
- Recommendations for journalism support organizations and universities, including journalism schools
- Recommendations for individual journalists
CISLM Director Erica Beshears Perel and NC Local News Workshop Executive Director Shannan Bowen:
- Summarize the report and recommendations
- Recap the high-level findings
- Highlight where we can go from here.
Any questions about the research or findings?
Reach out to CISLM Research Director Jessica Mahone