Let's address the elephant in the room: Black journalists are being pushed out of newsrooms at an accelerated rate, demonstrating the media's failure to uphold equity and care for Black storytellers.
The latest round of layoffs in the journalism industry is devastating and underscores the disproportionate impact it has on Black journalists. As more Black journalists leave the industry and are forced out altogether, it exposes persistent systemic problems of inadequate pay, diminished recognition, lack of advancement, and marginalization in newsrooms.
Recently, Media 2070's Venneikia Williams, along with Tianna Mañón and Nyasia Almestica of Mañón Media, joined forces with The Black Wall Street Times to delve into the underlying reasons behind the challenges faced by Black reporters, culminating in a powerful op-ed.
Key Findings Highlighted in the Op-Ed:
The 2023 Pew Research Center survey finds that 63 percent of Black Americans perceive news coverage as overly negative towards Black people, while 57 percent believe it selectively highlights certain aspects of Black communities.
In 2018, a survey by the American Society of News Editors revealed that just 7.19 percent of full-time newsroom staff were Black, while 78.18 percent were white.
The Washington Post is having difficulty retaining Black employees according to a 2022 Washington Post Guild report. Over a third of departing Guild-eligible journalists in 2020 were Black, despite comprising only 9.2 percent of the newsroom.
As we confront the sobering realities of the challenges Black journalists face, we turn to Media 2070 to learn about the importance of reparative policies rooted in Black liberation. Media reparations are key to redressing the historical injustices and anti-Black racism that have marginalized Black voices in newsrooms and communities for generations.
To read Media 2070's essay, visit https://mediareparations.org/essay/. Please contact Nyasia Almestica at nalmestica@tiannamanon.com to set up an interview with the team!
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