Increasing diversity in the newsrooms of the nation is a topic which has been talked about and strategized around for several decades. But has all that talk resulted in action which has increased the number of people of colour and Black journalists in Canada’s news media?
Our two guests on rabble radio today say there is still a long way to go. Anita Li of Canadian Journalists of Colour; and Nadia Stewart of the Canadian Association of Black Journalists say our newsrooms aren’t there yet. They just co-authored a study called Canadian Media Diversity: Calls to Action.
The report was released earlier this month after six to seven months of data collection, meetings with industry leaders, data collection and producing the document.
For Li and Stewart, it wasn’t enough to produce more statistics. They wanted a living document which provides tangible, concrete which has specific recommendations for changes which, if implemented, have the potential to bring more people of colour and Black journalists into the country’s newsrooms.
The Canadian Association of Black Journalists and Canadian Journalists of Colour share the same goal — they want to see a media industry which is equitable and truly representative of Canada’s racial diversity and commitment to multiculturalism.
Image: Victoria Fenner/rabble
