As part of API’s commitment to culture and inclusion, this survey will provide actionable data for more inclusive workplaces and encourage a culture of accountability in journalism.

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Culture & Inclusion Resources

Go beyond the survey and gather insights about how to integrate diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in every aspect of your work.

History of the survey

The Newsroom Employment Diversity Survey was first conducted by the American Society of News Editors to track the racial and ethnic diversity of U.S. newsroom staff.

The survey became an important tool for tracking employment trends among Black, Hispanic, Asian American and Indigenous journalists. As the media industry evolved, the survey expanded to capture broader identity categories and reflect changes in the journalism workforce.

Now, the American Press Institute has revived the survey under a new name: the API Media Inclusion & Impact Survey.

Data integrity

API inherited survey data primarily from 1997 through 2019. However, the data is inconsistent due to changes in survey administration, organizational transitions and varying record-keeping practices. 

As a result, the data and findings presented on this page reflect the records that were available at the time of acquisition. While we have worked to preserve and analyze these results, gaps remain—particularly for earlier years.

A comprehensive record of newsroom diversity trends is vital for industry progress. If you have additional historical data or insights that could help fill these gaps, we encourage you to contact hello@pressinstitute.org.

Data terminology updates

To ensure accuracy, inclusivity and alignment with modern diversity reporting standards, racial and ethnic categories have been updated from historical terminology while maintaining the integrity of the original data.

Older survey classifications may not fully reflect the range of racial, ethnic and gender identities recognized today. Prior to 2025, gender data was only collected for men and women, meaning that non-binary, gender-expansive and other gender identities were not accounted for in earlier surveys.

The following adjustments have been made to align with contemporary inclusive language standards:

  • Black or African American (replaces “Blacks” or “Black”)
  • Hispanic or Latino/a/x (replaces “Hispanics” or “Latinos”)
  • Asian or Asian American (replaces “Asians” or “Asian”)
  • Native American or Alaska Native (replaces “American Indians” or “Indigenous”)
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander (replaces “Pacific Islander”)
  • Biracial or Multiracial (clarifies representation for individuals identifying with more than one race; replaces “Multiracial”)
  • White (replaces “Whites”)
  • Professionals of color (replaces “Minority” to avoid centering whiteness as the default)

Additional culture & inclusion resources

Culture & Inclusion Resource Hub

Guidance on integrating diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in every aspect of the work

API Inclusion Index

Improving how newsrooms cover communities of color by assessing eight areas to reveal inequitable practices

API Leaders Fellowship for Inclusion & Impact

Developing journalism leaders who can champion resilience and inclusion within news organizations to better serve community information needs