On the lack of diversity in newsrooms

Must-read from Jelani Cobb, on The Guardian:

The article represented not simply a case of a journalist missing a story. The story, to me, spoke to the problem of what happens when the demographics of the Times — and American newspapers in general — look nothing like the demographics of the communities they cover. The people who are most likely to appear in these kinds of stories are the least likely to have a say in how those stories are told.

The lack of diversity — all kinds of diversity — is not only a problem for newsrooms, it is a threat to good journalism.

On that topic, I remember a very interesting piece from Owen Jones, also published on The Guardian a few years ago:

More than half of the top 100 media professionals attended a fee-paying school, even though just 7% of Britons overall did; and 43% of newspaper columnists were educated in the private sector. This is not just an unjust waste of talent, leaving aspiring journalists from more humble backgrounds unable to pursue their dream. It helps to ensure that the media reflects the opinions, prejudices and priorities of a gilded elite.

I’m afraid this is not a UK-only issue.