Pamela Newkirk







Re-imagining media diversity in the Obama age

Diversity in the American media workforce came under the spotlight in 1968 when President Johnson's National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders issued a devastating report on the media's failure to represent adequately the lives of African Americans. This chapter argues that despite more than 40 years of self-reflection by the industry, and close attention from civil society, the mainstream media has failed to address many of the problems identified in 1968. The racial landscape of America is changing rapidly. Issues central to widening diversity are more pressing. The election of America's first Black president suggests that there should be greater opportunities for advancement. But at a time of economic crisis in much of the mainstream media, these discussions are being forced from the table. There are, however, grounds for optimism in the hope that those who have historically been on the margins will in the future be among the industry leaders who will create the kind of principled journalism that a multifaceted nation deserves. This chapter is a transcript of a presentation to the ESRC-funded seminar at City University, London, delivered on 18 January 2011 and is followed by an edited selection from the Q and A which followed the presentation.

Keywords: American media, Kerner Report, ethnic media, African American journalists


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