A more diverse community in any field greatly benefits those within it, but when it comes to media it also benefits the public. Historically, minorities have been greatly underrepresented in the media, and although journalism and commercial enterprises have greatly diversified, there remains a disparity. Much of the discrepancy in employment relates back to internet access…again.
One of the more persuasive factors in searching for a career is whether or not one is interest. A student, whether it be in elementary school or at a university, forms an interest in something via exposure. Those students with greater access to the internet will encounter more media, and as a result form a greater interest in it. While it remains true that being exposed to the news continuously will not spur everyone to launch into a career in the media, it would create a more educated and interested individual. Poor minority communities are less likely to have constant and consistent access to these media outlets, which perpetuates their lack of involvement in media.
The problem of minorities of media is less a problem of exclusion, and having more to do with inclusion. The vast majority of employers do not actively exclude minorities in the hiring process. Hiring initiatives, however, do not go out of their way to employ minorities. Benefits of having access to the minority points of view and opinions are greatly undervalues, not because of racist attitudes, but because they have not been exposed to them.
The second part the lack of minority inclusion simply involves numbers. Media publication and broadcasting careers which involve meaningful contributions often require a higher education degree. Minorities graduate from higher education institutions at a disproportionately lower rate than their white peers. There are fewer minority individuals applying for these positions, and thus their input is lost in a sea of others.
The good news in all this is that internet access is increasing across the board, and this increased access allows for diverse voices to be heard no matter where they come from. Increasing access to the internet also allows knowledge to trickle down to everyone, creating a more educated and informed populace. The advent of widespread internet access has assured that minority populations will play a much larger role in media to come.
One of the more persuasive factors in searching for a career is whether or not one is interest. A student, whether it be in elementary school or at a university, forms an interest in something via exposure. Those students with greater access to the internet will encounter more media, and as a result form a greater interest in it. While it remains true that being exposed to the news continuously will not spur everyone to launch into a career in the media, it would create a more educated and interested individual. Poor minority communities are less likely to have constant and consistent access to these media outlets, which perpetuates their lack of involvement in media.
The problem of minorities of media is less a problem of exclusion, and having more to do with inclusion. The vast majority of employers do not actively exclude minorities in the hiring process. Hiring initiatives, however, do not go out of their way to employ minorities. Benefits of having access to the minority points of view and opinions are greatly undervalues, not because of racist attitudes, but because they have not been exposed to them.
The second part the lack of minority inclusion simply involves numbers. Media publication and broadcasting careers which involve meaningful contributions often require a higher education degree. Minorities graduate from higher education institutions at a disproportionately lower rate than their white peers. There are fewer minority individuals applying for these positions, and thus their input is lost in a sea of others.
The good news in all this is that internet access is increasing across the board, and this increased access allows for diverse voices to be heard no matter where they come from. Increasing access to the internet also allows knowledge to trickle down to everyone, creating a more educated and informed populace. The advent of widespread internet access has assured that minority populations will play a much larger role in media to come.