Assessing diversity in visual journalism through photographer, subject and community demographics

Abstract: This study explores diversity of newsrooms and community coverage through the lens of feature photographs. Feature photos offer a slice-of-life presentation of a community, and photojournalists often are able to find their own subject matter. Thus, we predict that a more diverse newsroom will result in feature photos that more accurately represent the demographics of its coverage area. This is explored through a content analysis of 92 U.S. newspapers in a two-year time period.