Useful Research ~ by Jaimie T.

As you all know, my thesis examines the gatekeeping practices of ethnic minorities in television newsrooms. My paper hopes to influence television newsroom practices via newsroom managers and producers. I think this paper will be very important especially considering all that each of the minority journalism groups (NABJ, NAHJ, AAJA, NAJA)and do to promote equal treatment and presentation in the journalism field.
Minority groups have been treated unfairly for so long in many different aspects of media... from the big screen, to the TV screen, stereotypes have prevailed in the images of minorities on the news.
If any of you get a chance, read Color of Ratings by Av Westin. The article can be found through the Communication and Mass Media Complete database within the library's website. This article chronicles the disparities minorities face at the hands of newsroom managers. It tells of reporters with good, solid stories with minority characters, asked to go back into the field and find a white family to focus their stories on. It's really sad, but true in this field.
Furthermore, women should have a more active role and voice in news stories. Women tend to look like authoritative sources by their positions in newscasts, but are actually silenced through news stories.
My paper and research hopes to influence people who make a difference in how minorities are portrayed in media and to inspire those who can't to speak up. Please read these two letters from two minority journalist organizations: NABJ to Newsroom Leaders: You Must Do Better and Make diversity a curriculum core. This article can also be found through the Communication and Mass Media Complete database.