Then and Now, Newsroom Diversity Matters for Mississippi’s Black Journalists

Abstract

ABSTRACT Mississippi newsrooms should be among America’s most diverse. More than a third of residents are Black, and U.S. journalism organizations have long stated a goal of achieving racial parity with the communities they serve. Through the frame of social identity and critical race theory, the researchers analyzed 12 in-depth interviews with Black Mississippi journalists. The findings from these interviews indicate a wide range of challenges in Mississippi newsrooms, with the assertion that achieving diversity is contingent on having diverse leadership. The study explores what these journalists believe is necessary to foster a newsroom culture where minority journalists feel better supported and more empowered to express their opinions, The results also highlight apprehensions about the coverage of Black communities in Mississippi markets, particularly in the capital city of Jackson, where most of the population is Black. Interviewees expressed dissatisfaction with the disproportionate allocation of news reporting resources to cover minority criminal activities, a practice attributed by Campbell, C. P. (1995. Race, Myth and the News. Sage) to a legacy of white supremacy.