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Onica Makwakwa
Executive Director
UNITY
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Diversity Should Be Prime Factor in Reshaping American Newsrooms

McLEAN, Va. – As the news industry continues to face dramatic change, protecting and advancing diversity should be of prime consideration in executive decisions to reshape the future of American journalism.

Recent cutbacks – including layoffs, buyouts and reductions in travel budgets for training and professional development – have hit journalists of color hard. Fewer of them were able to attend recent conventions held by three of the four minority journalism organizations that comprise UNITY: Journalists of Color.

"A new digital age of journalism is emerging from an increasingly diverse America, and media companies need to develop talent within their newsrooms, especially those individuals that come from communities of color representing that change," said UNITY President Karen Lincoln Michel. "Instead of putting diversity on the back burner, news organizations should bolster efforts to retain, mentor and promote their talented journalists of color while recruiting potential staff members of color for their digital and online operations."

At its recent fall board meeting, UNITY – whose alliance partners are the Asian American Journalists Association, the National Association of Black Journalists, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and the Native American Journalists Association – resolved to call upon industry leaders to recognize the importance of preserving diversity.

In addition, UNITY plans to draw attention to the positive role diversity plays in ensuring fair and accurate news coverage, and encourages news organizations to join UNITY and its alliance partners in actively protecting and advancing diversity.

"UNITY views this seismic change as an opportunity for journalists of color to assist the news industry in redefining a new journalism for American readers, viewers and listeners,” said Lincoln Michel. “We plan to keep this message in the forefront, and look forward to featuring such dialogue at the UNITY ’08 convention in July."
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About UNITY: Journalists of Color
UNITY: Journalists of Color, Inc. is a strategic alliance advocating news coverage about people of color, and aggressively challenging its organizations at all levels to reflect the nation’s diversity. UNITY, representing more than 10,000 journalists of color, is comprised of four national associations: Asian American Journalists Association, National Association of Black Journalists, National Association of Hispanic Journalists, and the Native American Journalists Association.

In addition to planning the largest regular gathering of journalists in the nation, UNITY develops programs and institutional relationships that promote its mission. For more information on UNITY, visit www.unityjournalists.org, email info@unityjournalists.org or call (703) 854-3585.