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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2003

"Journalists of color believe words matter and being racially conscious matters. This is not to say every reporter should cover race-related stories the same way. We need to be aware that as we shape public discourse, the media has an affect on society's perceptions of race. The media sometime determines how racial experiences cause people of color to view society from a different frame of reference. And we need to be aware of the impact of media-reinforced negative stereotypes throughout history.

Recent studies show 40 percent of mainstream newspapers have no nonwhites on staff. Nonwhites make-up a total of 11.5 percent of newspaper staffs and 20 percent of the television news industry. In most newsrooms, people of color make up a smaller percentage than they do in the nation's population at large, where they total 26 percent."

Get the Story:
DORREEN YELLOW BIRD COLUMN: 'Unity' serves all journalists of color (The Grand Forks Herald 2/18)

Relevant Links:
Unity, Journalists of Color - http://www.unityjournalists.org

More Dorreen Yellow Bird:
Yellow Bird: Finding peace in uncertain times (2/17)
Yellow Bird: Astronauts were elite, courageous (02/04)
Yellow Bird: Through diversity comes unity (2/3)
Yellow Bird: We're cold and proud of it (1/28)
Yellow Bird: It could have been anyone (01/14)
Yellow Bird: Deer encounters, Part 2 (1/13)
Yellow Bird: Listen up roaming deer! (1/7)
Yellow Bird: Looking past stereotypes (1/6)
Yellow Bird: We can learn from TIME report (12/23)
Yellow Bird: Happy Birthday, Mom (12/17)
Yellow Bird: Grandmother Moon (12/16)
Yellow Bird: Include Natives in plan (12/10)
Yellow Bird: Walking a different path (12/9)
Yellow Bird: An Indian Martha Stewart (11/18)
Yellow Bird: The dangers of smoking (11/12)
Yellow Bird: Worry about GOP control (11/11)
Yellow Bird: It's cold but it's home (11/5)
Yellow Bird: Gangs in Indian Country (11/4)
Yellow Bird: Wellstone will be missed (10/29)
Yellow Bird: Making the final journey (10/22)
Yellow Bird: No McDonald's in Mongolia (10/21)
Yellow Bird: Next stop, ESPN Sportszone (10/18)
Yellow Bird: Keeping traditions alive (10/08)
Yellow Bird: Burgers, chips and fries oh my (10/1)
Yellow Bird: The smallpox threat (9/30)
Yellow Bird: Oops, I did it again... (9/24)
Yellow Bird: Reservation elections (9/17)
Yellow Bird: Learning from 9-11 (9/16)
Yellow Bird: Remembering 9-11 (9/10)
Yellow Bird: Protecting the Badlands (9/9)
Yellow Bird: My secret nickname (9/2)
Yellow Bird: Appreciating art (8/28)
Yellow Bird: An unsung hero (8/26)
Yellow Bird: I say Sakakawea (8/20)
Yellow Bird: Changing views on rape (8/19)