• by Ray Schultz , December 26, 2024

Public media newsrooms are slightly more diverse than commercial entities, but “neither is truly representative of the American populace,” according to A Look at Diversity in Public Media Journalism, a study by the Public Media Journalists Association.

The research was conducted in 2023 by Stan Jastrzebski. It was done  using NVivo, an textual coding software used in qualitative scientific research, and has been publicized by Insider Radio. An updated study will be published by the association in 2025.

The study notes that there has been some improvement in recent years, but that “most public stations have work left to do.”

The 215 survey respondents were themselves a diverse group. “When asked if they identified as being a member of a historically marginalized group, 103 people said yes, 76 said no, and 36 declined to answer,” the study states. 

As reported by Insider Radio, the study continues that  “there was a clear majority opinion: more diverse stations generate improved coverage because of it, and those with less diverse staffs see more flaws in how news is done. However, those who were critical of their organization’s diversity found multiple areas where they think it’s hurting them or their news coverage.”