The number of minorities in television newsrooms is at it's second highest in more than five years, according to a study conducted by a Ball State University professor.
However, Professor of Telecommunications Bob Papper said the percentage of minorities in newsrooms is still far behind the percentage in the United States.
"The fact is, the minority population in the U.S. grows three to four tenths of a percent every year," he said. "Broadcast stations are well behind that."
According to Papper's study, the RTNDA/Ball State University Annual Survey, minorities make up 20.4 percent of English-speaking television stations, up a full percent from the previous year.
Papper said the change doesn't necessarily indicate an upward swing in minority employment.
"It was a good year," he said, "but next year, it may not and that would be pretty common."
News providers have to make a commitment to diversifying for it to happen, Papper said.
The study shows minorities make up only 13.2 percent of news directors in television.
Most minorities in TV news appear in front of the camera, positions that don't usually have much say in the choices along the way, he said.
"A lot of the minorities are on the air and aren't the decision-making face of the station," Papper said.
According to the study, the number of minorities in radio dropped to its lowest since the survey began.
Radio newsroom staffs were made up of 6.4 percent minorities, the study reported.
The number of Hispanics in radio news dropped significantly, while black and Asian American employment increased.
Papper said news providers have to make a commitment to diversifying for it to happen.
By making this commitment, newsrooms are more tuned into the communities they are serving, he said.
"If you've got a fairly homogenous group, they're bringing in the same old stuff," Papper said.
Race is not the only type of diversity newsrooms should consider, he said. Religious and economic diversity are also important.
"That should make for a much stronger news department and coverage of the area," Papper said. "They'll be far more sensitive to the various groups that make up the community."
By diversifying newsrooms, different types of voices are heard so that issues can be looked at from new angles, he said. By doing so, the audience is addressed in a more comprehensive way.
"It's not simply politically correct," Papper said. "It's also good business."
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