Why newsrooms must do a better job with diversity

On Feb. 22, The San Diego Union-Tribune ran an editorial cartoon that managed to demean the contributions of two American literary and social justice icons in a single panel. In an attempt to offer commentary on the legal entanglements of “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett, cartoonist Steve Breen equated the works of James Baldwin and Toni Morrison to the inconsistent account of a hate crime as told by Smollett. Breen titled the cartoon “Famous African-American Storytellers.”

Although Breen has explained that his intent was to contrast Smollett with Baldwin and Morrison, not to compare them, the effort fell short. The cartoon suggested that the writings of Morrison, the first African-American woman to win a Nobel Prize for literature are on a similar level as the controversial statements Smollett made about being attacked on the streets of Chicago, an incident police accuse the actor of staging for personal gain. The image suggests that the works of Baldwin, author of the novel “If Beale Street Could Talk,” are on par with Smollett’s possibly fictional account of racial epithets being hurled at him as a rope was tied around his neck.

There has been intense public outcry from many in the community who found the cartoon offensive, no matter the intent of its creator. For me, this speaks to a larger issue: a lack of diversity in newsrooms around the country and in San Diego in particular.

I have been a journalist for more than 30 years. I am also the president of the San Diego Association of Black Journalists, the local chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists, which since its founding in December 1975 has grown into the country’s largest organization of journalists of color. The SDABJ was founded 19 years ago in the Mission Valley offices of the Union-Tribune. Our mission statement is twofold: to push for diversity at all levels in local news organizations and to make sure that the African-American community is being treated fairly in the media.

Newsrooms are full of people whose job it is to ask questions, to get information and, for those who work in editorial roles, offer educated opinions. A journalist should be able to walk across the newsroom to ask colleagues of diverse backgrounds, “Hey, I am thinking about this for my comic today. Do you have any thoughts about this? I am asking because I want to ensure I get my point across while being culturally sensitive.” That kind of conversation is possible only if there is diversity in the newsroom. That conversation is possible only if management demands that type of introspection from its staff.

The challenges faced by journalism today are well-known. It is no secret that several news operations in San Diego, including the Union-Tribune, are trying to do more with less. However, diversity should not be a casualty of those cutbacks. A newsroom lacking diverse voices limits its ability to provide the community with fair and accurate reporting. According to the American Society of Newspaper Editors, people of color represented 16.6 percent of the workforce in 667 U.S. newsrooms that responded to its diversity survey in 2017. Last year, people of color represented 22.6 percent, with only 293 of 1,700 newsrooms responding.

Editor and Publisher Jeff Light issued an apology shortly after the cartoon was published in the Union-Tribune, and he and others at the news organization have said they are open to discussing solutions to prevent something like this from happening in the future. The members of SDABJ would like to offer ourselves as a resource. Our local and national organizations are ready and willing to be a conduit for the paper to find qualified talent with diverse voices. We are happy to provide suggestions on ways to improve the dialogue with your staff in order to avoid the unintended consequences such as Mr. Breen experienced.

Harper Lee, author of “To Kill a Mockingbird,” wrote in that iconic novel: “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view … until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” It should always be possible to walk up to another person and talk to them about their experiences. Especially in a newsroom. It’s what we do.

Stewart is president of the San Diego Association of Black Journalists.