Newspaper layoffs silence minority voices

You may have noticed that the White House press corps is looking a little less white these days. However, this ethnic diversity could be misleading. Although the percentage of racial minorities in the United States is steadily increasing (topping 34% in the last census), the proportion of people of color in editorial jobs at daily papers has remained at less than 14%. Some sources contend that, as large-scale layoffs continue, newsroom diversity is actually beginning to erode. The National Association of Hispanic Journalists reports than in 2008 recruitment of journalists of color did not replace or surpass those who left. And a recent post by Richard Prince of the Maynard Institute offers an alarming list of African-American columnists who have been downsized or downgraded, some of the voices lost include Donna Britt of the Washington Post and Les Payne of Newsday. Media watchdog Callie Crossley joins us for her take on this trend. Callie Crossley is a radio and TV commentator, she’s also a regular panelist on WGBH’s Beat the Press.