BDJ 200 Lecture 12: Notes_Why Should We Care
19 Mar 2017
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
In 2016, 83% of people working in 737 newsrooms were white. In 28% of those newsrooms, at least one minority journalist was among the top three editors. Women make up about 1/3 of newsroom staffs. Researchers recorded the race of the suspects for crime, murder, robbery. Research showed media coverage made it seem like there were far more. African americans who had committed crimes than white people, but in reality it was almost split half and half. Nearly 4 in 10 african americans report the news they consume doesn"t accurately portray them or their communities. Such disproportionate coverage is a diversity issue, but for journalists, it is also an accuracy and fairness issue. Bias = subtle lack of neutrality towards a topic. Stereotypes = generalizations that attempt to define entire groups. Only use race when it would help to identify a single person. Avoid using mug shots to identify victims of crimes.
