NAACP Criticizes CNN For Its Lack Of Primetime Diversity

by Alex Alvarez | 11:25 am, July 8th, 2011

» 32 comments

The NAACP has issued a press release criticizing CNN for the lack of diversity among its prime-time anchors. This week, the news network announced its new lineup — featuring the likes of Anderson Cooper, Erin Burnett, John King and Piers Morgan — now that Eliot Spitzer‘s In The Arena has been canceled.

As NAACP president and CEO Benjamin Jealous sees it, however, that lineup leaves much to be desired. Said Jealous in his statement:

The NAACP is deeply concerned with the lack of African-American journalists in prime-time news, both on cable and national network news shows.

In the spirit of award-winning African-American journalists, from W.E.B. Du Bois to Ed Bradley, the NAACP feels it is critical to bring this disparity, and the broader trend reflected in the overall lack of people of color as prime-time news anchors, to the attention of the top officials at all of the major broadcast and cable news stations.

Jealous was sure to add that the group has “come to expect this from the likes of Fox News, but not other networks.”

As The Root points out, there are currently no black hosts or anchors “on any national news show, cable or broadcast network, between the hours of 5 p.m. and 11 p.m.” The site, which offers news and analysis from a black perspective, also notes a particular challenge that comes among with the NAACP’s concern:

In the age of Herman Cain, we should all know that a token black host wouldn’t necessarily mean anything good or bad for the black community in terms of the substance of opinions expressed. On that issue, we’d be much more concerned with ensuring a variety of black commentators.

That said, there is something psychologically powerful about having an African American in the authoritative role of host or anchor. Black and white Americans alike are still starved for such images (yes, even with a black president). So while we’d probably save our “deep” concern for things like the overall dismal unemployment rate among African Americans, we do agree that the networks have a lot to answer for as to why their lineups fail to draw from the full range of talented people who are available.

It’s also worth mentioning that the state of primetime news features a lack of diversity in general, including those of Latin American and various Asian descents. This criticism is, of course, nothing new. Around this same time last year, in fact, The National Association of Black Journalists sent a letter to all cable networks, taking particular note of CNN’s hire of… Eliot Spitzer. The full circle, we’ve come to it:

NABJ questions CNN’s decision to hire former New York governor/attorney general Eliot Spitzer to co-host a new show in Campbell Brown’s old time slot. The company missed another opportunity to place a person of color in prime time. It just seems that cable news can never find diverse candidates who are good enough to meet their standards. We want to know your standards.

Are you telling us that CNN could find no one better than an ex-politician who quit being New York governor after consorting with prostitutes to grace America’s living rooms each night?

Concern over promoting tokenism is a valid one and the aim should always be to hire and promote the best of the best, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, etc. It’s also vital to feature anchors who can truly connect with a network’s audience, something that a scandal-plagued former politician without much TV experience, regardless of skin color, may find challenging. When it comes to opinion news, however — the bread-and-butter of so many cable news networks — adding a range of views, opinions and experiences can only help expand and add depth to the national discourse. Then again, is there any guarantee that a pundit or anchor will offer a perspective that’s different from that of a white, non-Hispanic colleague simply because he or she is of a different racial and/or ethnic background? And is that even a factor in the NAACP’s concern over lack of diversity?

h/t The Root

GreyGoose

FINALLY!!!!
2012freedom

Well duh! Anyone can see it is only whites over there.
Paul G

And all those black women at MESSNBC…….Oh wait……..NM
OxyCon

MessNBC is the worst.
The only diversity MessNBC has is that their line up goes from “Bonkers to Crazy to Socialist to Lesbian”. But they’re all still White far leftists.
http://activitypit.ning.com/profile/massmurdermedia MASSMURDERMEDIA

that jealous has “come to expect this from the likes of fox news” is typical leftist hypocrisy… this is much like when white liberals say racists things but a get a pass because of their ostensibly otherwise stellar track record in race relations (ie, pandering)…

i’m always struck by people’s demand for diversity, no matter the situation… in the general populace, yes, it should be expected, among huge markets such as education, manufacturing, medicine, law, government, etc… but it’s unrealistic to expect a reflection of the national demographic within narrow, niche markets… the nfl has a policy in place when a team has a head coach opening, they must interview at least one african american… this came about because even though there are only 32 of these jobs among a population of 300 million, apparently jesse jackson and al sharpton raised enough hell to put fear into the nfl to make them crater, rather than simply point out how ridiculous it is to maintain an artificial demographic reflection of the populace within such a rarefied situation… the same goes for prime time anchors… how many of these positions are there, 18 or 20 among the 3 major cable networks?… it’s rather silly and juvenile to impose the same expectations of representation we see in the population at large when you only have a minute fraction, comparatively, of positions available…
Just my Opinion

There are only so many Reverend AL’s
Looks like MSNBC has him cornered.
Liberal Tormentor – tormenting liberals with logic and facts since 1972

I say we hire the best person for the job, be they black, white, or purple.
LoyalOpposition

Paul G said:
And all those black wom[a]n at MESSNBC…….Oh wait……..NM

Fixed it for ya!
http://www.zazzle.com/talkingpoints NORBIT Jr.

Alex,

I noticed the admonitions Mediaite received on threading the Murdoch story, but not this.

You don’t have to respond as to whether that had any influence in prompting this thread; but either way, it shows good judgement that you did run this anyway.

————————————————————————

CNN should push this right back at that paartisan hatchet group, the NAACP, and put Herman Cain on for an hour each night.

Call the NAACP’s bluff!
Let’s see if they support all blacks, or only “Their” blacks!

Last week,, Tawana had a panic attack subbing on MSNBC, that Cain would emancipate any members of the Dem’s biggest voting block!
CAconservative

Affirmative Action is alive and well at the ol’ NAACP. Yes Sir, never mind professional qualifications, race should always trump individual achievement?
Harry Flashman

I note a serious lack of diversity at BET. But anyway….

…. They expect it of Fox? Did they miss Juan Williams sitting in for O’Reilly? Or Uma Pemmaraju? Or Lauren Green? Or Harris Faulkner? Or how about the many interviews done with far left bomb throwers like Malik Shabazz?

Gotta hand it to the left, though. When they get a meme they stick with it, facts be damned.
TfT

The attack on fox was stupid and completely innacurate.

I’m sosick of these NAACP types; really – just throw MLK and his dream under the bus.

These creeps need to get over color of skin as the be all and end al and just go with content of character.

They will never get beyond diversity as long as they look only skin deep; I’m sick and tired of it all.
http://www.mediaite.com/tv/glenn-beck-explains-how-the-unions-are-using-teachers-firefighters-and-co ImNotBlue

Why is this story, about CNN… THE TELEVISION NETWORK… in the “Online” section?
http://www.zazzle.com/talkingpoints NORBIT Jr.

Is the Democratic Media covering-up this story?

This exposes, yet once again, who the party of racial discrimination, stereotypes, and intolerance really is in 2011, the Democrats – and their taxpayer-supported attack groups, like the NAACP.
Perdido

Anderson Cooper is so pale, he counts twice.
http://victoryinamericaday-11210.blogspot.com/ Bob Uda

NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Jealous is simply jealous! Get a life, Benny boy.
The Lantern of Truth

The NAACP hasn’t advanced any colored people in a long , long time .
The Lantern of Truth

Liberal Tormentor - tormenting liberals with logic and facts since 1972 said:
I say we hire the best person for the job, be they black, white, or purple.

Those purples are traditionally lazy and not good workers .
The Lantern of Truth

Liberal Tormentor - tormenting liberals with logic and facts since 1972 said:
I say we hire the best person for the job, be they black, white, or purple.

Purples will call in sick when they’re just feelin’ a mite poorly and really could work .
The Lantern of Truth

Liberal Tormentor - tormenting liberals with logic and facts since 1972 said:
I say we hire the best person for the job, be they black, white, or purple.

Purples often will take up two spaces in the parking lot to protect their new car .

They will take a bite out of your sandwich in the break room .

Purples will switch staplers with you when theirs is empty .

Don’t get me started on purples .
jo hoochie

The Lantern of Truth said:
Purples often will take up two spaces in the parking lot to protect their new car . They will take a bite out of your sandwich in the break room . Purples will switch staplers with you when theirs is empty . Don’t get me started on purples .

How about the “green with envy” ones? They really get on my nerves. Always turning green at the wrong time. Always trying to trip the purples as they walk down to the green room. Purples are upset because the green’s have thier own green room. What is this world coming too???
Just my Opinion

Liberal Tormentor - tormenting liberals with logic and facts since 1972 said:
I say we hire the best person for the job, be they black, white, or purple.

Call me what you want,
But I ain’t hiring no damn Purple.!!!!
You just have got to draw the line somewhere!
Nature Freak

I agree with you Alex Alvarez.

I would also like to see more geographic and economic diversity. Someone who grew up poor in South Dakota or Alabama also offers the possibility of a different perspective, no matter their race or ethnicity. Journalism these days in my opinion is made up too much of people from upper middle class origins, many times from the Northeast and West coasts.

As you say Alex, there still is no guarantee a pundit or anchor will offer a different perspective.

With Latin American’s it becomes more complicated. Stations such as Univision and Telemundo have widespread coverage in much of America, but their Spanish speaking only policy tends to isolate them from the english speaking public (I wish Spanish speaking stations used English subtiles. Mi español es muy pobre.) There have also been accusations in the past of White racial preferences at Spanish speaking stations.

Many people in America are not represented by mainstream journalism. Blacks, Native Americans, the poor, the working class, people from certain geographical regions, Hispanics of primary Amerindian background and many others.

I live in a small (15,000 people) town in Florida. Many, many here are poor and struggling, most of these are people of both White non Hispanic and White Hispanic background. The economy here is very bad. Neither politicians or local journalists seem to care much for helping these people. Condescending lip service is the rule. The rich and the poor are becoming more and more apart.

America needs more people like the late Studs Terkel. The poor and working class, no matter their race or ethnicity, are now totally marginalized in America. This is not good. There will be ramifications, possibly of an ugly sort.
Nature Freak

Walt Whitman
To Working Men
http://www.readbookonline.net/readOnLine/26645/

In my opinion, Walt Whitman is possibly the greatest American poet. Walt had a vision of America which is timeless. Walt Whitman will still matter 200 years from now.
http://none pyrope

To their credit, CNN tried to provide some “diversity” with Jesse Jackson’s program. Even CNN knows it’s better to make a profit than subsidize a program that no one wants to see. They are, after all, not Pubic Television.
http://none pyrope

Nature Freak said:
I would also like to see more geographic and economic diversity. Someone who grew up poor in South Dakota or Alabama also offers the possibility of a different perspective, no matter their race or ethnicity.

I don’t at all mind diversity but whatever happened to the notion that the best qualified job candidate gets hired? Quota hiring is a formula for financial ruin. Wonder why NAACLP isn’t barking about there being no white hosts on BET?
Heatshield

It’s amazing how this racist hate group only sees a “lack of ‘diversity’” when there are a majority of White persons around.
Nature Freak

pyrope said:
I don’t at all mind diversity but whatever happened to the notion that the best qualified job candidate gets hired? Quota hiring is a formula for financial ruin. Wonder why NAACLP isn’t barking about there being no white hosts on BET?

If nothing else, Realpolitik and its ramifications will require some concept of “quotas”. That is reality.

BET represents 12 or 13 percent of the American population. White non Hispanics are still a majority, and if you include white Hispanics (very common in Florida), Whites are still a super majority.

There is also history. The county I live in (Florida) did not desegregate the schools until 1970. Water fountains here were segregated until the mid 1960′s. I am 40 years old. I am old enough to have seen serious institutionalized bigotry firsthand. I saw it, especially as a child. IT WAS REAL!

History can not be swept under the rug. I am from the South. I know what happened. It takes time to heal.

If African Americans were 40 to 50 percent of the population, your issue with BET would be taken more seriously.

Pyrope, thank you for responding to me. This is my opinion. Yours may differ.
Nature Freak

Nature Freak said:
If nothing else, Realpolitik and its ramifications will require some concept of “quotas”. That is reality.

BET represents 12 or 13 percent of the American population. White non Hispanics are still a majority, and if you include white Hispanics (very common in Florida), Whites are still a super majority.

Let me add, if you count Biracial folk, BET represents up to 20 percent of the population.

This is a controversial subject. It still needs to be honestly discussed. Racial and ethnic controversy is real, especially regarding Black and White issues. It is hardcore.

Thank you again Pyrope. Your concerns need to be discussed in the public forum.
Nature Freak

If nothing else, Realpolitik and its ramifications will require some concept of “quotas”. That is reality.

BET represents 12 or 13 percent of the American population. White non Hispanics are still a majority, and if you include white Hispanics (very common in Florida), Whites are still a super majority.

Let me add, if you count Biracial folk, BET represents up to 20 percent of the population.

This is a controversial subject. It still needs to be honestly discussed. Racial and ethnic controversy is real, especially regarding Black and White issues. It is hardcore.

Thank you again Pyrope. Your concerns need to be discussed in the public forum.
http://none pyrope

Nature Freak said:
Thank you again Pyrope. Your concerns need to be discussed in the public forum.

The point I made about BET is that 100% of their on-air faces I’ve seen are black people. Admittedly, I do not spend a lot of time watching BET. That, however, is the premise of my claim that dual standards abound in this matter.

It’s interesting that you are from Florida; I would like to relate a true life story about your state: One of my companies did consulting work in your state; I opened an office in Tallahassee. Since my contract was with the state government and I needed to hire some contractors operating within the state (terms of agreement) I had to invite for bids. I advertised in several major newspapers (Tallahassee Democrat, Miami Herald, etc.) BUT because it was a publicly funded contract, I also had to advertise in minority-owned newspapers. While the major newspapers charged something like $25/line, the minority newspapers charged me $150/line. The major newspapers had circulations of a few hundre thousand and the minority-owned papers had circulations of less than 10,000. THIS IS A LAW THAT WAS WRITTEN BY THE NAACP, AND IT GAVE MINORITY OWNED NEWSPAPERS A LICENSE TO STEAL.

Tell me, please, how this is anything resembling “ethical?”
http://www.facebook.com/people/Mark-Ward/100000135233619 Mark Ward

Forgive me, but are you (NAACP) saying that Blacks can’t understand non-black news anchors?

What kind of RACISTS are you people?

I don’t care if the person reading the news is Black, White, Male, Female, Gay or Straight (or anyone else I may have left off the list)… The NEWS is (or, at least, SHOULD BE) a non-judgemental delivery of THE FACTS.

I, for one, am SICK of so-called “Main Stream Media” CREATING a Poll, and then reporting on the results of their own poll, as though THAT was “News” (it is NOT)!

While there IS a place for “commentary”, it SHOULD be a separate SEGMENT, and CLEARLY identified as such. There is NO PLACE for personal beliefs in the NEWS!