B uilding the business case for diversity has taken us down a long and winding road with not a few stalls along the way. That report defined the issues, helped people to understand the ramifications of emerging trends, and showcased the efforts of newspapers trying to respond to the changing landscape. At the centerpiece of this initiative are sound marketing precepts which, when aligned with shifts in America's tapestry, signal a change in the profile of the newspaper reader. Two members of the project team, Dan Sullivan, a journalism professor and former economist for Cowles Media and the Star Tribune in Minneapolis, and Pam Sveinson, former vice president human resources for Cowles, outline the approach used to measure revenue opportunity in diversity. Senior writer Don Williamson conveys the sense of discovery in two articles detailing GOLD's strategy and outcomes.
People spotlights two recent publications' attempts to improve diverse community coverage.
Success Story touts the California Chicano News Media Association and the largely unheralded job they do bringing together young minority journalists and professional media outlets. And in First Person, Edwina Blackwell Clark, who has been positing the economic necessity of diversity for years from her newsroom posts, writes about her move to the business side. Each of us has a unique, highly individualized response to the word diversity. Rarely do most of those responses break beyond the boundaries of race and gender, and in almost all instances they underestimate the role diversity can play in market growth and profit opportunity.