The nation’s foremost civil rights organization issued the following response to CNN President Jeff Zucker’s refusal to address the lack of diversity in leadership positions:
“It is vital that news organizations reflect the diversity of our country, which includes people of color in key decision-making roles which are responsible for shaping news coverage and providing nuanced perspectives, especially around issues directly impacting Black America. CNN’s lack of black representation in leadership roles is troubling and another example of the media industry’s reluctance to address an issue that continues to plague newsrooms across the country.
NAACP finds is offensive that CNN President Jeff Zucker refuses to address this issue. We are far beyond the point of accepting simple visibility as an instance of true diversity. For major corporations like CNN and its parent company, WarnerMedia, diversifying the media landscape must become a part of a company’s corporate responsibility rather than always as a response to intolerance and implicit bias.
Until concrete steps are taken by CNN, the NAACP stands firmly with NABJ and asks that WarnerMedia conduct a diversity and inclusion audit of all its news divisions. We will continue to hold the media industry accountable for their insufficient response and actions toward diversity.”
