Why does diversity in media ownership matter?
Companies led by white men own nearly all of our media — which is why women and people of color are so often depicted in dehumanizing terms or ignored altogether.
The FCC needs to fulfill its obligation to promote ownership opportunities for underrepresented communities. It’s just as crucial that media outlets diversify newsrooms and provide meaningful support for women and people of color on staff.
Why is this an important issue?
The lack of diverse media ownership puts our communities at risk. Stereotypical media depictions have real-life consequences for communities of color, including discriminatory hiring practices, biased treatment in courtrooms and doctors’ offices, and police brutality.
How diverse is media ownership today?
Not very. Women comprise about 51 percent of the U.S. population but own only 8% of full power commercial broadcast TV stations and just 10% of full power commercial broadcast radio stations (as of 2023 — the latest period where FCC data is available). The same applies for people of color, who comprise over 41 percent of the U.S. population — people of color own just 9% of full power commercial broadcast TV stations and only 10% of full power commercial broadcast radio stations (as of 2023 — the latest period where FCC data is available).
