Gregory Freeman: Racial Diversity Is In The News. 9/7/1993

Headline: RACIAL DIVERSITY IS IN THE NEWS
Reporter: By Gregory Freeman

Publication: ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Last Printed: Tues., Sept. 7, 1993
Section: WAR PAGE, Page: 5B, Edition: FIVE STAR

I WORRY AT TIMES that some have no idea what diversity is all about.

My worry was brought home to me recently, as I learned of the resignation of one of the regional directors of the Society of Professional Journalists. The society is made up of journalists from across the country. Services it provides to its members include a magazine, access to information on sunshine laws and the Freedom of Information Act, and some legal support on journalistic matters.

In recent years, it's also taken up the cause of diversity in newsrooms across the country.
   And that issue is what disturbed the resigning director.
   The director, who is white, said he felt that white males were threatened by diversity. The issue of diversity, he said, was a "politically correct social cause of the week."
   In his letter of resignation, the director wrote: "While you may think `diversity in the newsroom' is the kind of trendy social issue SPJ should involve itself in, I will tell you that what it really is nothing more than sugar-coated for `no white males need apply.' . . .
   "Regardless of how noble you think this diversity business is, the resulting effect is to create another group of people in our society who have, and are, being discriminated against on a daily basis because it happens to be politically correct to do so."

I was surprised by the letter. I serve as national diversity chairman for the society, and I was sorry to learn that the director felt that way. But I'm certain that he's not alone.
I suspect there are many people - especially white males - who find the whole idea of diversity threatening. Actually, that's understandable, particularly at a time when the job situation in the United States looks scary, a time when our economy seems to be shrinking, a time when work seems more difficult than ever to find.

But I also suspect that in their haste to oppose the concept, some critics have not taken the time to examine the full issue.
   Let's look at my own profession - print journalism - as an example.
   According to the American Society of Newspaper Editors, minority professionals make up 10.25 percent of the newsrooms of daily papers. On the face of it, that looks pretty good, especially when you consider that in 1978, when the organization began its annual newsroom survey, minorities made up 4 percent of those newsrooms.
   Obviously, some strides have been made.

But looking at it closer, that 10.25 percent really isn't very high at all.
The term "minorities, " as defined by the newspaper society, includes blacks, Hispanics, Asians and Native Americans. When you consider that the most recent census figures show that these groups make up nearly a quarter of the population, 10.25 percent is considerably less impressive.
It also means that whites hold nearly 90 percent of the jobs in newspaper newsrooms.

The concept behind diversity is not to discriminate against white males or anyone else. The idea is to try to make businesses - including newspapers - look a bit more like this country. That's not a bad goal for any business and, ultimately, should help that business.
   If you were to look at this nation's major corporations, you would find that almost all of them are headed by white males. Rare is the major corporation with a woman as chief executive, or a black, or a Hispanic or a Native American.
   Is it because no one other than white males is qualified for these positions?
   I doubt that. Rather, I fear that it is because no one has ever given serious consideration to anyone else for these top posts.
   The idea behind diversity is for businesses and others to realize that America is filled with talented people whose skills would be an asset to any organization, but who - perhaps for reasons of race or gender - are not given serious consideration.

On the surface, it may look to some as if women and minorities are taking over the job market.
But, as a friend mentioned to me last week, "I know a lot of black women Ph.D.s who are unemployed and asking `Where are all the jobs everyone said would be out here for us?' The idea that there are tons of jobs for women and minorities seems to be an urban myth."
If you go down list after list - doctors, lawyers, engineers, construction workers - you'll find that minorities and women make up a small percentage of those who are working. The idea that women and minorities are somehow "taking over" seems to be another urban myth.

Diversity is something to be embraced, something that can and should be an asset to any organization. It is not designed to discriminate against anyone; rather, the concept is to make the system fairer to everyone.

Daniel Schesch - Webweaver

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