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By NAOMI TACUYAN UNDERWOOD
“What gets measured gets managed.” Management expert Peter Drucker was referring to corporate strategy, but the same applies to social change. The Asian American Journalists Association has developed a robust research program for that very reason: As we push newsrooms to better reflect the communities they serve, measuring progress is essential.
The most obvious metric is also the most elusive. News organizations have shown “crushing resistance” to diversity surveys, so the News Leaders Association hasn’t produced a report on the race and ethnicity of newsroom staff since 2019. It’s disconcerting that a profession built on demanding accountability of others does such a poor job of measuring itself.
Yet research conducted by AAJA and its partners paints a detailed picture of a country that is becoming more diverse, media consumption habits that are shifting dramatically, especially among the young, and a news industry struggling to keep pace by recruiting, retaining and advancing journalists of color. For example:
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- Trusted Messengers and Priority Audiences (2024) found that two out of three Asian American and Pacific Islanders see the news media as critical to democracy. While respondents 18-29 are more distrustful of news media than their elders, they trust influencers and celebrities even less. This group gets much of its news via social media, including TikTok, and relies on ethnic media more than older audiences do. The findings suggest that news organizations have an opportunity to inform younger audiences, and that journalists of diverse backgrounds can help.
- Breaking Through: Overcoming Structural Barriers for Journalists of Color (2024) meanwhile found that journalists of color encounter obstacles at almost every stage of their careers. The report was based on a survey shared with journalists of color and several follow-up focus groups. Most respondents reported they felt personally respected in the workplace but had encountered structural barriers from the earliest stages of their careers and felt they needed to be overqualified to be promoted. Many said mentorships and professional associations such as AAJA were vital to keep them going in the profession.
- The AAJA Broadcast Snapshot (2022) used another tactic to make up for news organizations’ lack of self-reporting – it counted the number of AAPIs represented in television news across the country’s top media markets, based on names and appearance. It found that in 70% of these markets, AAPI on-air talent was underrepresented compared with the demographics of the markets they served.
- The State of Asian American Female and Male TV Broadcasters (2024) analyzed the Broadcast Snapshot data by gender. Strikingly, it found only 1% of male broadcasters are AAPIs. Female AAPIs are better represented at 5%, but 25 of the 94 markets surveyed had no female AAPI broadcasters and 18 others had only one. The AAPI population of top media markets averages 9.5%.
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The Trusted Messengers report relies on Amplify AAPI, the largest, most representative public opinion panel of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities, housed at NORC at the University of Chicago. We worked with AAPI Data and APIAVote to add questions to the monthly AAPI Data/AP-NORC survey, a series of polls, to create the 2024 AAPI Media & Democracy Survey Series.
The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) supported the “Breaking Through” report.
AAJA’s research program aims to:
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- Quantify the diversity of newsroom staff compared with the communities they serve
- Explore why journalists of color are glaringly underrepresented in leadership
- Highlight opportunities created by changing demographics and news consumption habits
- Provide detailed insights on the nation’s fastest growing community of color
- Identify how to best support the careers of journalists of color
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The research informs and strengthens AAJA’s mission. The reason for that mission is clear: As America becomes even more diverse, newsroom diversity is good for journalism and good for business.
Drawing journalists from diverse communities ensures those communities get covered fully and accurately. That engages broader audiences, counters misinformation, and enriches democracy with informed citizens who share common factual ground.
It’s a good business practice as well. Asian Americans are the fastest-growing ethnic group in the United States, with buying power projected to reach $1.6 trillion this year. What’s more, diverse leaders, with their experience of being outsiders, can bring the innovation and experimentation that journalism needs to be relevant to audiences of today and tomorrow.
Take journalist Lam Thuy Vo, who engaged two generations of Vietnamese immigrant families in a project to counter misinformation that went viral. Or Black-led outlets Blavity and The Grio, who showed how to creatively engage their social media audiences around news at scale. Or Outlier Media, whose Latina founder pioneered news delivery via SMS to match her audience’s needs.
Under our theory of change, research powers a series of steps on a pathway:
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- Evidence-based insights inform stakeholders of what needs to be done. Awareness is the first step toward action.
- Equipped with research findings, AAJA can advocate for policies and best practices that promote diversity.
- As more diversity improves coverage, it helps break down stereotypes and foster a more inclusive media landscape.
- Ongoing research and monitoring ensure that the changes are implemented and sustained.
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We’re grateful to all the foundations whose support enabled us to launch our research program. Data tells a story. AAJA is leveraging it to ensure that AAPIs and other underrepresented communities have their rightful place in the American story.
Naomi Tacuyan Underwood is executive director of the Asian American Journalists Association. She has over a decade of experience in nonprofit management and community engagement where she has long focused on empowering Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.
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