FAIR numbers

When we at The OpEd Project hear about new media and op-ed diversity research, our ears perk up.   This is because statistics and documentation work help us to understand the extent and nature of the problem, so that we can better position ourselves to solve it.

“And what is the problem”, you ask?  According to a study released last month by FAIR (Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting), white men contributed 82% of op-eds in the Wall Street Journal, 74% in the New York Times and 71% in the Washington Post, even though they compose just 32% of the population.

Now, let’s be clear – we want to hear from white men, but we also want to hear from everybody else, and that is not happening.  For example, the FAIR survey found that, “Though Latinos make up 16 percent of the U.S. population, they were granted less than half a percent of the op-ed bylines at the nation’s top newspapers.”  (I actually winced when I read that.)  Women of color fared just about 1% better, topping out at 2% in the New York Times.  (See the results below.)

The OpEd Project continues to conduct its own Byline Survey and we will soon be delving into the class, race, and education of op-ed writers.  Stay tuned!

Source: Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting, April 2012 (They studied three major newspapers over a two-month period of September and October 2011.)

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