Journalists of color are leaving newsrooms and the newspaper industry as a whole. And recent cutbacks in newsrooms nationwide have only exaccerbated the decrease.
That's the message sent by an afternoon panel led by APME President Karen Magnuson and UNITY President Karen Lincoln Michel. They presented research they have done on the topic.
For the first time ever, APME and UNITY teamed up to do round-table discussions throughout the nation.
Their findings: Some minorities struggle in the news business because many are uncomfortable in newsrooms.
James Garcia, lecturer at Arizona State University, said a former editor told him his column could be cut because the editor wasn't sure who was reading it, if anyone.
"Well, you don't know anyone I know," Garcia said he told his editor.
That's the problem, the panelist said. Newspapers need a diverse newsroom to make sure they have diverse coverage.
-- Marissa DeCuir
Comments