Edward Schumacher-Matos

[Commentary] For better or worse, the public affairs programming of NPR appeals mostly to Americans with a college degree, regardless of race or ethnicity.

By this measure, black listeners index exactly the same as their proportion of college graduates in the wider society.

College-educated Latino listeners are lower but within shouting distance. Asians present the opposite picture. Twice as many Asian-American adults listen to NPR news stations as their weight in the population. Among college graduates, however, the proportions converge.

National Public Radio has undertaken a concerted effort to "sound like America." So, if NPR's shows are expected to reflect the interests and voices of all the nation's races and ethnic groups, then clearly it helps to have those groups represented in the newsroom.

Staff breakdowns include my 2012 study and what they were following layoffs announced May 20. The numbers are of reporters, editors, producers, designers and other full time newsroom professionals, and not administrative support. NPR had 365 such professionals after the layoffs.