What you probably already know: Women’s representation in the television news workforce declined, according to an annual survey by the Radio Television Digital News Association. The report found a decrease in the representation of minority women following a near-record high the year before. However, diversity among news directors increased significantly, reaching a record 20.5%, largely driven by increases in African Americans and Asian Americans. The percentage of women news directors and general managers dropped by 8% and 3%, respectively.
This marks the second year the TV new industry has seen decline in women representation. The trend is similar in radio news, where the average number of women continues to fall.
Why? About 88% of U.S. adults say they keep up with news mostly digitally and about 31% say they often get their news from TV. While the number of viewers has decreased over the years, news still affects daily life for many viewers. Women make up a larger share of television news viewers, about 30% compared to 26% of men. Diversity in newsrooms matters, particularly in leadership positions, where decision-makers have the power to influence how and what stories are covered, and shape the public’s views of different topics.
What it means: When newsrooms lack diversity, stories may be more one-sided. This can leave viewers feeling disconnected, a problem for the industry as viewership decreases. Not only that, gender-diverse leadership teams contribute to stronger decision-making and greater innovation, according to a Grant Thornton study. This is particularly important as news consumption is evolving to include more digital-only content. As the industry struggles to adapt to the changing landscape, diversity could bring not only a wide range of ideas to the table, but also help identify stories that may resonate with a broader audience.
What happens now? Visibility matters in every industry and this becomes even more prevalent in the TV news industry as news consumption shapes decisions many Americans make. Despite declining employment, over 3,000 openings are projected within the news industry, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics. As the news landscape is reshaping itself, so are the leadership positions within the industry.
