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| One key to diversity sensitivity in media coverage is diversity within the organizations themselves. |
Is Equal Opportunity Employment Still a Necessity?
by Hayli Morrison
Every so often, a media organization slips up, using language or images that are shocking to the general population and outright offensive to smaller groups. It is usually a casual, completely irrelevant, seemingly calloused and prejudiced reference pertaining to a person’s gender, race, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation. The overwhelming question becomes, “What does
that have to do with anything?!” These moments can feel like a time warp back to the 1950’s – only now, the messages travel farther and faster.
How can media groups avoid such embarrassing and disgraceful faux pas? One key to diversity sensitivity in media coverage is diversity within the organizations themselves, from the newsroom to the boardroom. It is the primary focus of organizations like INROADS and the Emma L. Bowen Foundation, both established to ensure that minority youth receive fair opportunities in the job market.
“The demographics of our country are changing and I think it’s very important that the media reflects the diverse perspectives of our culture. We can’t do that if we don’t have diversity in every aspect of the media industry,” said Phyllis Eagle-Oldson, president and CEO of the Emma Bowen Foundation, which deals strictly with media organizations.
A diverse media workforce can be particularly important in covering communities with a large Hispanic population, said Hector LaFarga, Jr., regional director for INROADS’ Pacific Southwest region.
“Especially if you’re reaching out to the growing Hispanic population, you have to look and speak and be able to relate,” he said.
Eagle-Oldson and LaFarga agreed that minority youth can boost their standing in the job market through internships, mentorships and getting an early start in the process to gain an edge over their competitors. With 1,700 applications for 90 opportunities, the Emma Bowen Foundation is a prime example of the competitive nature of the job search. It’s why the foundation has established a work-study model lasting five years, to help minorities get in the door earlier and establish those key relationships that can help them rise to the top later on.
“(The media) has been a tough field to break into up until now,” Eagle-Oldson said. “(Minority students) don’t have mentors or access to people on the inside, because there aren’t as many people of color in the media industry.”
Within corporations, LaFarga referred to slow-changing boardrooms as an “opportunity.” As aging leaders retire, replacing them with a younger, more diverse group of leaders is often viewed as a strategic move that’s more reflective of the company’s target audience.
“When you look at the folks in the corporate boardroom, I think there’s a lot of opportunity there, not just from an ethnic perspective, but from a gender perspective as well,” LaFarga said. Essentially, companies refusing to embrace diversity in hiring, marketing and general business practices are going to “miss the boat” in today’s business world, Eagle-Oldson pointed out.
But can there ever be too much of a good thing? “Reverse discrimination” is a hot-button issue these days, albeit one rarely talked about. Marty Nemko, author of
Cool Careers for Dummies, has seen it affect his career counseling clients.
Believe it or not, Caucasian males are having a more difficult time than in previous years, according to Nemko. “Companies don’t like to admit it, but it’s out there,” Nemko said.
But reverse discrimination may not be such a problem in the media industry, where a recent study showed that minorities made up only 22.2 percent of television newsroom employees and 13.2 percent of all television news directors. As low as those numbers may seem, they are actually at their second-highest level ever, according to the annual study of diversity by the Radio-Television News Directors Association.
Nemko agreed that a diverse workforce is a key part of community journalism, of reaching out and connecting with a diverse public. However, he added, diversity is “the greatest challenge facing our workplace, period.” While hiring qualified diverse applicants is critical, companies must be careful not to overreach and hire only for the sake of diversity, without adequate qualifications.
“Maybe the biggest mistake a company could ever make is to use reverse discrimination to hire a less qualified person,” Nemko said. “I’m not saying don’t hire minorities. I’m saying make sure you’re hiring everybody on their merit or you’re taking a huge risk.”
“If you look at sheer talent, you can’t have enough good talent, and when you’ve got good talent that’s diverse talent, you’re going to have an edge,” LaFarga added.
As for the U.S. government’s often-debated equal opportunity employment hiring standards, Eagle-Oldson feels EOE is still very much a necessity in today’s world. Although the Emma Bowen Foundation has seen increasing receptiveness to diversity in the media, with 200 more students and about 30 more corporate partners than a decade ago, there is more progress to be made.
“I hope in my lifetime there’s not a need for the Emma Bowen Foundation,” she said. “But in this day, I think there’s still a need for programs that level the playing field.”
