Minority journalists cite lack of diversity
By Anastasia Ustinova
Chicago Tribune-Washington Bureau
August 5


The Washington press corps has raised sharp questions about President Bush's relationship with the black community and the lack of minorities in John Kerry's inner circle.

Now, with more than 7,000 minority journalists converging on Washington this week in one of the largest gatherings of its kind, similarly tough questions are being aimed at the press itself.

A study released Wednesday by Unity, a coalition of minority journalists, found that 60 out of 574, or roughly 10 percent, of Washington newspaper reporters and editors are non-white, compared with 30.9 percent of the U.S. population.

"There is no justification for any media company to staff its bureau in Washington, D.C., without people of color," said Ernest Sotomayor, president of Unity and Long Island editor for Newsday.com in New York. Newsday.com is owned by Tribune Co., which also owns the Chicago Tribune.

`Skewed view of the news'


"It's dishonest journalism," Sotomayor said, "because it's a willful decision made to deliberately exclude diverse staff, and that means the media company is satisfied with providing its readers or audience a skewed view of the news."