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Pew Finds Just 6% of Journalists Are Black as Crisis Grows with Recent Firings

October 8, 2025

Karen Attiah, the only Black female opinion writer at the Washington Post, was terminated after over a decade of service allegedly for social media posts addressing white extremism and violence. Her dismissal occurs amid significant underrepresentation of Black journalists in American newsrooms, where only 6% of reporting journalists are Black despite comprising 12% of the population. The National Association of Black Journalists and other advocacy groups have condemned the firing as an "erosion of Black voices" and "a dangerous act of erasure" that sends a chilling message to other Black journalists.

Who is affected

  • Karen Attiah, the Washington Post's only Black female opinion writer who was terminated
  • Black journalists who make up only 6% of reporting journalists despite comprising 12% of the population
  • The journalism profession and news industry that lacks diverse perspectives
  • News consumers who receive information filtered predominantly through a white lens
  • Media organizations and newsrooms facing scrutiny over their treatment of Black voices
  • Advocacy groups like the National Association of Black Journalists and Media 2070 who are speaking out

What action is being taken

  • The National Association of Black Journalists is raising alarms about the "erosion of Black voices across the media"
  • Media 2070 is condemning the firing as "a dangerous and deliberate act of erasure by media owners"
  • Karen Attiah is speaking publicly about her termination, including at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Annual Legislative Conference
  • The Washington Association of Black Journalists is criticizing the firing as sending a chilling message to other Black journalists
  • Journalism experts and professors are publicly questioning the Post's judgment and highlighting the consequences of lacking diverse voices

Why it matters

  • Black journalists are severely underrepresented in American newsrooms (6% of journalists vs. 12% of population)
  • The firing sets a precedent that may discourage Black journalists from speaking truthfully about issues like white extremism
  • The clustering of Black journalists primarily in social issues coverage (15%) while remaining scarce in politics, economy, science, and technology means most national conversations are filtered through a predominantly white perspective
  • The absence of diverse voices leads to incomplete truth and untold stories according to NABJ President Errin Haines
  • The incident raises concerns about the broader erosion of Black voices in media at a time when the country is becoming more diverse

What's next

  • No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint

Pew Finds Just 6% of Journalists Are Black as Crisis Grows with Recent Firings