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  3. DIVERSITY IN THE MEDIA: A CHART BOOK FOR SELECTED INDUSTRIES

DIVERSITY IN THE MEDIA: A CHART BOOK FOR SELECTED INDUSTRIES

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

PREFACE

This chart book responds to the public's request for data regarding diversity in employment among some of the key media industries in the nation. The data provided here can be used by employers in these industries to evaluate their employment practices. This effort is consistent with the emphasis on proactive prevention in the Commission's Five Point Plan. These data come from EEO-1 reports filed in 2002 and information for the three industry groups are based on the North American Industrial Classification System. This publication provides a brief graphical overview of the three industry groups:

  • Newspaper/Periodical/Book/Database Publishers
  • Radio and Television Broadcasting
  • Cable Networks and Program Distribution

Graphs are followed by data tables displaying detailed employment statistics for each of these industry groups nationwide and for the ten most populous metropolitan areas.(1) The areas are, in order of population: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, Miami, Washington, Houston, Detroit and Boston. Data regarding these most important "markets" seem particularly important in these industries. (Note that, in some metropolitan areas, it was not possible to provide data for each industry group due to confidentiality restrictions.)

The EEOC encourages readers to utilize this chart book as one resource ensuring that the diversity of America's workers is effectively utilized in the industries examined.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

  • Newspaper publishing and broadcasting have a similar proportion of employees of color; cable networks and distributors show greater diversity in this respect.
  • Women and men of color are similarly employed.
  • African American employment is higher in the cable industry than in the other two media industry groups. Hispanic employment is also higher in the cable industry but the difference is not as dramatic.
  • Asian American employment is relatively uniform with slightly lower employment in broadcasting.

Newspaper/Periodical/Book/Database Publishers (Publishing)

  • For both African Americans and Hispanics the proportion of professionals and officials and managers are similar but there are more than twice as many Asian professionals as Asian officials and managers.
  • African Americans and Hispanics are more highly represented in the lower paying job groups.

Radio and Television Broadcasting (Broadcasting)

  • In broadcasting, in contrast to publishing, Asian employment as officials and managers is similar to their employment as professionals. Larger disparities in employment between the two job groups can be seen for African Americans and Hispanics.
  • African American and Hispanic employment is fairly similar in all job groups except operatives and service workers with a much higher proportion of African Americans.

Cable Networks and Program Distribution (Cable)

  • As in the publishing industry, the disparities between Asian American employment as officials and managers and as professionals is much greater that those observed for other minority groups.
  • While Hispanic employment as officials and managers is consistent between the broadcasting and cable industries, African American employment in this job group increases from 7.7 percent in broadcasting to 10.9 percent in the cable industry.

Top Metropolitan Area and Industry Groups for People of Color

  • When examining the top ten metropolitan areas and examined media industries, the top five areas and markets (based on percent of employment) for people of color with respect to total employment are: Miami and cable (70.5 percent), Miami and broadcasting (61.9 percent), Los Angeles and cable (50.5 percent), Washington, D.C. and cable (47.1 percent) and Los Angeles and publishing (46.1 percent).
  • The top five areas for women of color with respect to total employment are: Miami and broadcasting (26.0 percent), Miami and cable (25.6 percent), Los Angeles and publishing (20.2 percent), Washington, D.C. and cable (20.2 percent) and Los Angeles and cable (19.5 percent).
  • The top five areas for people of color with respect to employment as officials and managers are: Miami and cable (56.5 percent), Miami and broadcasting (46.1 percent), Houston and broadcasting (31.7 percent), Los Angeles and cable (30.7 percent) and Miami and publishing (28.4 percent).
  • The top five areas for women of color with respect to employment as officials and managers are: Miami and cable (23.9 percent), Miami and broadcasting (21.9 percent), Washington, D.C. and broadcasting (15.9 percent), Los Angeles and broadcasting (14.1 percent) and Houston and broadcasting (13.7 percent).
  • The top five areas for African Americans with respect to total employment are: Washington, D.C. and cable (34.7 percent), Miami and cable (28.5 percent), Washington, D.C. and broadcasting (27.2 percent), Detroit and broadcasting (24.8 percent) and New York and cable (21.8 percent). With respect to employment as officials and managers the top areas are: Washington, D.C. and broadcasting (20.9 percent), Washington, D.C. and cable (18.9 percent), Miami and cable (15.7 percent), Detroit and broadcasting (14.7 percent) and Dallas and broadcasting (12.3 percent).
  • The top five areas for Hispanics with respect to total employment are: Miami and broadcasting (52.0 percent), Miami and cable (40.5 percent), Los Angeles and publishing (27.9 percent), Los Angeles and cable (25.5 percent) and Houston and broadcasting (23.6 percent). With respect to employment as officials and managers the top areas are: Miami and broadcasting, cable and publishing respectively at 39.9 percent, 38.9 percent and 18.9 percent, Houston and broadcasting (18.5 percent) and Los Angeles and publishing (13.3 percent).
  • The top five areas for Asians with respect to total employment are: Los Angeles and cable, publishing and broadcasting respectively at 10.6 percent, 8.6 percent and 6.9 percent, New York and publishing (5.8 percent) and Washington, D.C. and cable (5.7 percent). With respect to employment as officials and managers the top areas are: Los Angeles and cable, broadcasting and publishing respectively at 8.3 percent, 6.1 percent and 5.6 percent, New York cable and publishing respectively at 4.3 percent and 3.8 percent.
  • The top five areas for Native Americans with respect to total employment are: Los Angeles and broadcasting (0.8 percent), Dallas and broadcasting (0.7 percent), Los Angeles and cable (0.6 percent), Dallas and publishing (0.4 percent) and Houston and broadcasting (0.4 percent). With respect to employment as officials and managers the top areas are: Los Angeles and broadcasting (1.1 percent), Dallas and broadcasting (0.9 percent), Miami and cable (0.7 percent), Detroit and broadcasting (0.5 percent) and Los Angeles and cable (0.5 percent).

DIVERSITY BY INDUSTRY GROUP

Bar Graph: Diversity by Industry Group

Industry Group People of Color Women of Color
(Percentages)
Newspapers/Periodicals/Book/Database Publishers 21.0 10.5
Radio & Television Broadcasting 22.7 10.7
Cable Networks & Program Distribution 34.3 15.6
  • Newspaper publishing and broadcasting have a similar proportion of employees of color.
  • Cable networks and distributors show greater diversity in this respect.
  • Women and men of color are similarly employed.

RACE/ETHNICITY BY INDUSTRY GROUP

Bar Chart: Race/Ethnicity by Industry Group

Race/Ethnic Group Newspapers/Periodicals/Book/ Database Publishers Radio & Television Broadcasting Cable Networks & Program Distribution
Black 10.9 11.4 19.7
Hispanic 6.3 8.5 10.5
Asian American 3.3 2.3 3.5
American Indian 0.4 0.5 0.6
  • African American employment is higher in the cable industry than in the other two media industry groups. Hispanic employment is also higher in the cable industry but the difference is not as dramatic.
  • Asian American employment is relatively uniform with slightly lower employment in broadcasting.

NEWSPAPERS/PERIODICALS/BOOK/DATABASE PUBLISHERS

Bar Chart: Newspapers/Periodicals/Book/Database Publishers

Race/Ethnic Group Officials/Managers Professionals Technicians Sales Workers Office & Clerical Workers Craft Workers Operatives Laborers Service Workers
Black 5.7 5.8 7.2 10.6 14.0 9.7 18.5 22.4 8.7
Hispanic 3.5 3.7 5.8 4.6 7.3 7.6 11.3 11.7 5.6
Asian American 2.1 4.6 6.7 1.6 3.0 2.2 3.4 5.1 1.9
American Indian 0.3 0.3 0.5 0.4 0.5 0.5 0.6 0.8 0.4

 

 

  • For both African Americans and Hispanics the proportion of professionals and officials and managers are similar but there are more than twice as many Asian professionals as Asian officials and managers.
  • African Americans and Hispanics are more highly represented in the lower paying job groups.

 

 

RADIO & TELEVISION BROADCASTING

Bar Chart: Radio and Television Broadcasting

Race/Ethnic Group Officials/Managers Professionals Technicians Sales Workers Office & Clerical Workers Craft Workers Operatives Laborers Service Workers
Black 7.7 10.7 12.4 8.0 15.9 9.7 22.9 13.0 35.3
Hispanic 6.0 8.1 9.6 5.2 12.1 8.5 13.4 14.8 11.3
Asian American 2.0 2.7 1.9 1.2 3.4 2.0 2.3 1.2 3.0
American Indian 0.5 0.4 0.5 0.4 0.5 0.4 0.2 0.3 0.7

 

 

  • In broadcasting, in contrast to publishing, Asian employment as officials and managers is similar to their employment as professionals. Larger disparities in employment between the two job groups can be seen for African Americans and Hispanics.
  • African American and Hispanic employment is fairly similar in all job groups except operatives and service workers with a much higher proportion of African Americans.

 

 

CABLE NETWORKS & PROGRAM DISTRIBUTION

Bar Chart: Cable Networks and Program Distribution

Racial/Ethnic Group Officials/Managers Professionals Technicians Sales Workers Office & Clerical Workers Craft Workers Operatives Laborers Service Workers
Black 10.9 10.8 16.7 18.0 28.3 18.8 19.6 37.9 24.8
Hispanic 6.0 6.1 11.6 9.7 12.2 13.7 13.3 11.2 10.5
Asian American 2.9 7.6 3.8 2.6 2.8 3.0 3.2 2.5 1.8
American Indian 0.5 0.4 0.6 0.5 0.6 0.8 0.5 1.5 0.5

 

 

  • As in the publishing industry, the disparities between Asian American employment as officials and managers and as professionals is much greater that those observed for other minority groups.
  • While Hispanic employment as officials and managers is consistent between the broadcasting and cable industries, African American employment in this job group increases from 7.7 percent in broadcasting to 10.9 percent in the cable industry.

 

 

Tables

U.S. Totals

Ten Largest Metropolitan Areas

1. OMB Bulletin No. 03-04 2003. "Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Micropolitan Statistical Areas, Combined Statistical Areas, New England City and Town Areas, Combined New England City and Town Areas" Statistical and Science Policy Branch, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget.

This page was last modified on August 5, 2004.