Diversifying the newsroom, diversifying the news: challenges and obstacles in Central and Eastern Europe

Abstract

As immigration and the flow of labor continue to alter Central and Eastern Europe demographics, the imperative to increase diversity inside newsrooms and in news coverage becomes more critical. Media organizations must respond to that imperative to adequately serve their communities with relevant news and information. Obstacles to diversification of the newsrooms and news include: media consolidation and foreign ownership; economic constraints; established newsroom culture; traditional patterns of professional practice; and lingering communist-era legacies. This article explores major barriers to diversity within news organizations, as well as diversity in the types of stories covered and how reporters cover them in democratic and semi-democratic countries of the region. It includes a discussion of initiatives intended to improve diversity in both those contexts. It incorporates data on media diversity and lack of diversity, interviews with media diversity experts and trainers, and examples of media diversification initiatives in Central and Eastern Europe.