Diversity in the newsroom is still sorely lacking. In fact, according to an American Society of News Editors’ newsroom diversity survey, major national outlets continue to be dominated by white men and women.
“Nationally, Hispanic, Black and Asian women make up less than 5 percent of newsroom personnel at traditional print and online news publications, according to 2016 data from the American Society of News Editors…But the numbers lag far behind demographic shifts in a country where nearly 40 percent of Americans are part of a minority group. Around the country, local newsrooms remain largely white by most measures,” NPR reported.
A new program that will be launched in spring 2019 by Historically Black University Morgan State University’s School of Global Journalism and Communication (SGJC) and The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) might help to shift these numbers.
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The partnership will provide business-journalism exposure to students, support SGJC faculty with tools and information for teaching purposes as well as expose students to professional skills and reporting experiences the Journal seeks in recruiting and hiring.
“Journal editors and reporters will serve as mentors, facilitate training sessions and assist with programming as part of the newsroom visits,” Talking Business News reported.
Called the Wall Street Journal-Morgan State Business Journalism Exchange Program, its aim is to prepare students for 21st century journalism with practical training and experience.
“As a founding member and former president of the National Association of Black Journalists, I have a deep appreciation for the need to move beyond talk, to action, when it comes to newsroom diversity,” DeWayne Wickham, dean of the School of Global Journalism & Communication at Morgan State University, said in a press statement. “In initiating a partnership with Morgan’s School of Global Journalism and Communication, The Wall Street Journal speaks with a voice that rises above the din of those media companies whose talk about diversity doesn’t match their action.”
The partnership will also include mentoring and newsroom visits for some students and faculty, both in New York and on Morgan’s campus in Baltimore.
“We couldn’t be more excited to partner with Morgan State,” said Matt Murray, editor-in-chief of The Wall Street Journal. “The partnership certainly reflects our commitment to creating real opportunities that bring greater diversity to the Journal and journalism, as well as our interest in helping train the journalists of tomorrow. Most of all, we’re excited because there are so many great stories to tell and so much important work to do, and we can’t wait to see what these journalists do.”
