Real-World Media Ethics

CHAPTER 11

Diversity and Consolidation

When people talk about diversity in the media, what exactly are they talking about? Usually the term “diversity” does not refer to the variety of choices available to the consumer—that is, different choices that a consumer can select. Most often, the term “diversity” refers to minority representation, representation in front of and behind the camera, in the front office, among media owners, in newspaper and Internet bylines, and so forth. This is the way we will define diversity in the text.

There are many ethnic minorities around the world, many of which are not fully represented in the media. Diversity advocates want to level the playing field to include many more minorities. These minorities ...