Diversity- What's the Difference?

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"Moreover, another said, if you believe that having a diverse staff is essential to covering the news fully and fairly, then the fact of diversity itself is an important qualification to be considered" (Haiman 45-46).

I'm glad that this section was included in the chapter, because, frankly, there's a lot that can go wrong when trying to ensure one has a diverse staff.  What happens when there is a white man is more qualified than minority members, but denied a job because he's not a minority?  This particular problem is so frustrating, because I can see where it is necessary to have this safety net that attempts to ensure someone isn't turned away because of race or gender, but then...people end up getting turned away because of race and gender.  However, the above quote shows why this practice is sometimes necessary.  Diversity is a factor, too.

"But there also was a fear expressed that progress in race relations and in newspaper coverage of minority community issues might be leveling off as journalists lost enthusiasm for the effort"(Haiman 44).

This is more important, in my opinion, than any other potential solution.  Yes, I am admittedly tired of having issues of race and gender brought up, because I think we as a society should be past that.  However, we're not, and it's here the call for a constant, passionate awareness of justice is sounded.  Journalists should always ask themselves if they are fairly representing minorities, both in the quantity and quality of their stories. 

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5 Comments

Derek said:

You better believe that a diverse staff is important because of how much negativity is out there from people and the news. I think that the subject is very sensitive, but every company should consider each applicant based on their qualities and knowledge and not on there gender or race. Many companies want their staff to have diversity because this makes them look good and seem acceptable to all kinds of people. The last part of your blog brings up a good question. It seems that many reporters are not considering the minority groups when writing articles. What about the poor or the sick? These people have a say, like anyone else, but sometimes they are over looked because of their "title." Very interesting topic, Josie!

Greta Carroll said:

I agree Josie, in an ideal world we would no longer have to worry about prejudice based on race or gender, but as you point out we really aren’t past it yet. I also am skeptical how well hiring processes work that specifically focus on hiring minorities. As you pointed out sometimes in these situations, “people end up getting turned away because of race and gender” without regards to the qualification of the candidate. However, Haiman is also right, when we start ignoring these problems and pretend like they don’t exist anymore, we are left with some nasty problems. I think that the one quote Haiman got from the public sums up the real problem well, “’I read the paper every day but I don’t see many people in it who look like me’” (45). When parts of the readership are overlooked or not represented accurately, the connection between the readership and the paper doesn’t exist. And it is this connection which draws readers in and helps them to believe what is printed in the paper.

Derek Tickle said:

Great response, Greta! I think that prejudice still exists in today's 21st century world. I really like the quote that you added because it shows how certain races are still being over looked when it comes to representing the whole society. Also, when a reader feels like they are being left out, then they will be inclined to read another paper or tell other people negative things about the paper they do not like. Word-of-mouth seems to go a long way in the news industry!

Derek said:

Your blog entry made me think about The Well-Rounded View

Dianna Griffin said:

I actually wrote about this too. I have heard that pretty soon white people will be the minority in the United States. Despite the attempts to involve all races, there will always be at least one race that has a disadvantage. I think that everyone just needs to forget about race and focus on the things that matter.

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