By Jaime Ortega Simo.
Eric C. Deggans is the Editor and Media Analyst for the Tampa Bay Times
1) Which news networks in your opinion are less ethnically diverse when they bring experts to comment on a topic that does not necessarily represent their race?
I think many news networks make the mistake of assembling panels which lack ethnic or gender diversity when they talk about issues. Two different studies conducted recently of the Sunday morning political shows revealed that white men dominate the guest pool tremendously. So whenever talk turns to race issues there, it is likely the panel won’t have a great representation of women or people of color. And in the case of outlets such as Fox News, even though they have a diversity of contributors, their anchor pool is not particularly diverse and the channel’s ideological focus minimizes the views held by a great many people of color.
2) There is a rumor that it might be the medias fault (I don’t know) that Latino, Mexican, black men and native Americans are less educated than white folks in the United States. Do you think that reflection is one of the main reasons why most media networks might want more white personnel to represent other ethnic groups as they perceive they might be seen by the public as more educated overall?
I think the media’s struggle with diversity has more to do with catering to a mostly white audience and shying away from the work needed to hire qualified people of color. It takes sustained effort to find, train and hire a wide range of people for media jobs. One reason why: Magazines and big TV outlets often offer unpaid internships allowing young people to learn the industry and make contacts while working at a big media company. But people of color have a harder time filling these jobs because their families may not have the resources to support them while they work for free over a summer. Since entry-level hires often come from these jobs, one pipeline into the company is now tilted against people of color.
3) If media is not ethnically diversified does that “really mean” it’s not being accurate in its reporting? By the same token critics could argue that just because media experts are more diversified it doesn’t guarantee they are necessarily the “most qualified” to comment. What’s your opinion?
I think it is hard to fully cover a community if you don’t understand it. And while it is certainly possible for people who do not belong to an ethnic group to understand it, I think there are tiny nuances to life as a person of color in this society that are hard for people who aren’t in the minority group to understand or perceive. Also, many journalists of color are motivated to enter the industry because they want to make sure stories about minority groups are better told and more fully told. That means they are not just filling a quota for diversity, they are working hard in their newsrooms to talk about issues affecting people of color and press for better coverage. I always say managers would be better off hiring people who are interested in covering undercovered groups in their community; the ethnic diversity will come naturally, because so many journalists of color care about these issues.
4) What should be done in the next few years in order to have a fair balance of more ethnic cultures in the media?
Media outlets need to stop using the recession and money problems as a excuse to stop recruiting and developing staffers of color. Consumers need to reject media outlets which develop a lousy track record of covering these issues or which seem obviously lacking in diversity among their reporters or staff.
Jaime Ortega Interview. Eric Deggans, from the Tampa Bay Time.
The Daily Journalist.
