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This Is What Diversity Looks Like? A Mixed-Method Analysis of Multiperspectival News

Presenters Name: 
Twindy Pham
Primary Research Mentor: 
Meredith Clark
Secondary Research Mentor: 
Session: 
4
Location: 
Board Room
Grant Program Recipient: 
USOAR Program
Abstract: 

Since 1978, the American Society of News Editors (ASNE) has collected demographic data on the country’s newsrooms as part of its efforts to “drive the quest for diversity and inclusion in the workplace and in news content across all platforms.” The central assumption behind these efforts is that by increasing diversity in the newsroom, journalists will produce news that better reflects the needs of an increasingly diverse American populace. In this study, we will analyze digital news articles provided by newsrooms that participated in the 2018 ASNE Survey to determine: (1) How these newsrooms have defined “diverse” content and (2) assess whether having an ethnically and racially diverse newsroom is a predictor of such content. We will conduct a mixed-methods study, using quantitative content analysis and qualitative textual analysis to analyze 240 articles and determine what constitutes “diverse” content, including the use of specific sources, composition and type of images, frames of reference, and other factors. Potential implications of this research include the development of measures to define “diversity” in news, and clarification of the relationships between newsroom demographics and news coverage. This research is of significance to the general public, as news media has the potential to influence consumers and their perceptions of individuals and communities from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds.