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