Research: Minority numbers slide, women make gains

This is the ninth in a series of reports developed from Radio Television Digital News Association's annual survey of newsrooms across the United States. Women and minorities research highlights:

  • Mixed minority numbers in TV
  • Mostly down minority numbers in radio
  • Record numbers of women in TV and women in TV news leadership

The latest RTDNA/Hofstra University Annual Survey finds the minority workforce in TV news slid 0.2 to 22.2 percent... still the third highest level ever. And the minority workforce at non-Hispanic TV stations rose in 2015 to the third highest level ever as well. The minority workforce in radio fell back from 2014's high. In TV, women news directors and women in the workforce both rose to the highest levels ever. The picture for women in radio news was more mixed. Still, as far as minorities are concerned, the bigger picture remains unchanged. In the last 25 years, the minority population in the US has risen 11.5 points; but the minority workforce in TV news is up less than half that (4.4), and the minority workforce in radio is actually down by a full point.


Research: Minority numbers slide, women make gains