Journalism’s Racial Reckoning

This book addresses endemic issues of racism in news media at what is a critical moment in time; as journalists around the world speak out en masse against the prejudice and inequality in the industry.

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This book addresses endemic issues of racism in news media at what is a critical moment in time, as journalists around the world speak out en masse against the prejudice and inequality in the industry.

As the events of 2020 – the death of George Floyd, the rise in prominence of the Black Lives Matter movement – have drawn new and focused attention to inequality, white supremacy, and systemic racism, including in the media, this volume chronicles this racial reckoning, revisiting and examining the issues that it has raised. The author analyses media output by racialized and Indigenous journalists, identifying the racial make-up of newsrooms; the dominance of white perspectives in news coverage; interpretations of ethics downplaying systemic racism and bias; ignorance of racist history in editorial decisions and news content; and diversity and inclusion measures. The actions taken by news organizations in response to the reckoning are also detailed and placed in the context of existing race and media scholarship, to offer emerging strategies to address journalism’s longstanding issues with racism in news content and newsrooms.

Grounding the interplay between news media and race within this pivotal moment in history, this text will be an important resource for students and scholars of journalism, journalism ethics, sociology, cultural studies, organizational studies, media and communication studies.