Local TV Newsroom Diversity: Race and Gender of Newscasters and Their Managers

ABSTRACT

Research has shown that minority newscasters can increase media interest and trust among minority viewers, while also finding people of color are underrepresented as members of the media. This study collected race and gender data of 4,317 newscasters from 64 U.S. television markets, as well as their news directors and general managers. It examines relationships between diversity of on-air staffs and race and gender of management, market size, and location. The study found news teams are significantly more diverse at stations with minorities in leadership positions. It considers the implications of these findings using representation theory.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Supplementary Material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/08838151.2022.2121834

Notes

¹ Named after Illinois Governor Otto Kerner, the group released a 17-chapter report. Chapter 15, The News Media and The Disorders, served to answer questions about media effects.

² An outdated, racist term for Black people has been replaced.

³ For this study, the term minority refers to nonwhite, and the terms are used interchangeably.

⁴ For this study, the term White refers to non-Hispanic White.

⁵ Researchers should be mindful of non-binary individuals. The author is aware of only one openly non-binary newscaster, whose station was not included in the sample.

⁶ Most El Paso newscasters are Hispanic.

Additional information

Funding

The author reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.

Notes on contributors

Robert J. Richardson

Robert J. Richardson is a doctoral student in the School of Journalism and Media at the University of Texas at Austin. His research primarily focuses on presentation and perception of broadcast journalists.