There is a growing effort in the broadcasting industry to raise awareness about unconscious bias. Researchers define it as prejudice or unsupported judgments that unfairly show favor against or for one thing, person, or group. The word unconscious is important because in this context it implies the bias comes automatically as the brain makes quick judgments based on past experiences and understandings. The idea of unconscious bias has certainly prompted many moments of self-reflection for me. I'm fortunate to work for a company that is encouraging its employees to explore themselves and the way we do business.
Part of the self-reflection has forced many news leaders to assess how and who we hire. According to RTDNA, more than 70-percent of television news employees are considered White. The next largest group is made up of people who identify as African American, at just over 12-percent. While I certainly believe an employee's experience and ability should be the main factor in whether they're hired, it's hard to ignore the need for more diverse voices in the industry. Some of my strongest and most valued colleagues have been people who think and look differently than me. The variety of opinions and ideas from a room full of people with unique backgrounds has provided us thoughtful content that is so much better than many of our competitors. Diversity goes beyond race, though. Sexual orientation, age, religion, physical ability and immigration status are just a few of the traits, characteristics, and identities that help define some who can be valuable newsroom citizens. The world would be a boring place with a bunch of folks just like me!
I took part in a recent session put on by Poynter tackling issues surrounding inclusive journalism. One of the biggest take-aways for me was remembering how important empathy can be. Recognizing a person's perspective is their truth is something we all could benefit from. My desire is to build a connection with each employee I work with; Empathy is great way to start.
