Hispanics made the biggest gains in local television newsrooms in 2019, and Hispanic local TV news directors are at a record 6.9 percent, according to the latest annual survey of the Radio Television Digital News Association and Hofstra University.
“Almost all the metrics for people of color in TV news are up from a year ago,” reported the survey, dated June 13. “Every newsroom in the top 50 markets had at least one person of color and, on average, they were 30% people of color. Every Fox and non-commercial station had at least one staffer of color, and all the network affiliates were at least in the 90s. All had workforces of color of 20% or higher.”
However, the report added, “Yet the bigger picture for people of color remains unchanged. In the last 29 years, the population of people of color in the U.S. has risen 12.8 points; but in TV news it is up just 8.1. Still, the gap in representation that widened after 2005 has steadily shrunk for the last three years.”
Asked for comment, National Association of Hispanic Journalists spokesperson B.A. Snyder messaged Journal-isms, “While we’re pleased to see a slight improvement, the fact remains the need for diversity and inclusion is not moving quickly enough for our newsrooms to accurately reflect all the communities of the United States as we approach the 2020 Election and Census.
“If the smallest, local newsrooms currently retain the least in representation of minority communities, and even a few newsrooms of up to 50 staff report not a single person of color are on the news team, how do we claim we are acting as the best resources of information to increase civic engagement?
“There are too many underserved communities across the nation needing us to do better.
“While many areas of the report show a slight Latinx representation uptick in Local TV News, the bigger picture for people of color remains unchanged, and if one of us is behind, we’re all behind. It’s bigger than just our community.”
Bob Papper, professor emeritus at Hofstra who has long authored the report, listed these highlights:
- “The percentage of women and people of color in TV newsrooms reached record highs for the second year in a row.
- “The percentage of local TV news directors of color is at the second highest level ever, down slightly from last year, but the number of general managers of color is up for the second year in a row.
- “There are more women in the local TV and radio news workforce and in leadership roles than ever.
- “The local radio workforce of color is the highest it’s been in more than 20 years — the third highest level ever — and the gap in representation is at a 14-year low.
- “The percentage of radio news directors of color is at the highest level in five years.”
