{"id":46463,"date":"2025-12-04T07:34:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-04T12:34:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/?p=46463"},"modified":"2025-12-04T08:24:36","modified_gmt":"2025-12-04T13:24:36","slug":"the-hidden-business-risks-of-pulling-back-on-media-dei","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/blog\/2025\/12\/04\/the-hidden-business-risks-of-pulling-back-on-media-dei\/","title":{"rendered":"The hidden business risks of pulling back on media DEI"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"shariff shariff-align-flex-start shariff-widget-align-flex-start\"><ul class=\"shariff-buttons theme-round orientation-horizontal buttonsize-medium\"><li class=\"shariff-button twitter shariff-nocustomcolor\" style=\"background-color:#595959\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdigitalcontentnext.org%2Fblog%2F2025%2F12%2F04%2Fthe-hidden-business-risks-of-pulling-back-on-media-dei%2F&text=The%20hidden%20business%20risks%20of%20pulling%20back%20on%20media%20DEI&via=DCNorg\" title=\"Share on X\" aria-label=\"Share on X\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" class=\"shariff-link\" style=\"; background-color:#000; color:#fff\" target=\"_blank\"><span class=\"shariff-icon\" style=\"\"><svg width=\"32px\" height=\"20px\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"#000\" d=\"M14.258 10.152L23.176 0h-2.113l-7.747 8.813L7.133 0H0l9.352 13.328L0 23.973h2.113l8.176-9.309 6.531 9.309h7.133zm-2.895 3.293l-.949-1.328L2.875 1.56h3.246l6.086 8.523.945 1.328 7.91 11.078h-3.246zm0 0\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"shariff-button linkedin shariff-nocustomcolor\" style=\"background-color:#1488bf\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/sharing\/share-offsite\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdigitalcontentnext.org%2Fblog%2F2025%2F12%2F04%2Fthe-hidden-business-risks-of-pulling-back-on-media-dei%2F\" title=\"Share on LinkedIn\" aria-label=\"Share on LinkedIn\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" class=\"shariff-link\" style=\"; background-color:#0077b5; color:#fff\" target=\"_blank\"><span class=\"shariff-icon\" style=\"\"><svg width=\"32px\" height=\"20px\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 27 32\"><path fill=\"#0077b5\" d=\"M6.2 11.2v17.7h-5.9v-17.7h5.9zM6.6 5.7q0 1.3-0.9 2.2t-2.4 0.9h0q-1.5 0-2.4-0.9t-0.9-2.2 0.9-2.2 2.4-0.9 2.4 0.9 0.9 2.2zM27.4 18.7v10.1h-5.9v-9.5q0-1.9-0.7-2.9t-2.3-1.1q-1.1 0-1.9 0.6t-1.2 1.5q-0.2 0.5-0.2 1.4v9.9h-5.9q0-7.1 0-11.6t0-5.3l0-0.9h5.9v2.6h0q0.4-0.6 0.7-1t1-0.9 1.6-0.8 2-0.3q3 0 4.9 2t1.9 6z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"shariff-button mastodon shariff-nocustomcolor\" style=\"background-color:#563ACC\"><a href=\"https:\/\/s2f.kytta.dev\/?text=The%20hidden%20business%20risks%20of%20pulling%20back%20on%20media%20DEI https%3A%2F%2Fdigitalcontentnext.org%2Fblog%2F2025%2F12%2F04%2Fthe-hidden-business-risks-of-pulling-back-on-media-dei%2F\" title=\"Share on Mastodon\" aria-label=\"Share on Mastodon\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" class=\"shariff-link\" style=\"; background-color:#6364FF; color:#fff\" target=\"_blank\"><span class=\"shariff-icon\" style=\"\"><svg width=\"75\" height=\"79\" viewBox=\"0 0 75 79\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M37.813-.025C32.462-.058 27.114.13 21.79.598c-8.544.621-17.214 5.58-20.203 13.931C-1.12 23.318.408 32.622.465 41.65c.375 7.316.943 14.78 3.392 21.73 4.365 9.465 14.781 14.537 24.782 15.385 7.64.698 15.761-.213 22.517-4.026a54.1 54.1 0 0 0 .01-6.232c-6.855 1.316-14.101 2.609-21.049 1.074-3.883-.88-6.876-4.237-7.25-8.215-1.53-3.988 3.78-.43 5.584-.883 9.048 1.224 18.282.776 27.303-.462 7.044-.837 14.26-4.788 16.65-11.833 2.263-6.135 1.215-12.79 1.698-19.177.06-3.84.09-7.692-.262-11.52C72.596 7.844 63.223.981 53.834.684a219.453 219.453 0 0 0-16.022-.71zm11.294 12.882c5.5-.067 10.801 4.143 11.67 9.653.338 1.48.471 3 .471 4.515v21.088h-8.357c-.07-7.588.153-15.182-.131-22.765-.587-4.368-7.04-5.747-9.672-2.397-2.422 3.04-1.47 7.155-1.67 10.735v6.392h-8.307c-.146-4.996.359-10.045-.404-15.002-1.108-4.218-7.809-5.565-10.094-1.666-1.685 3.046-.712 6.634-.976 9.936v14.767h-8.354c.109-8.165-.238-16.344.215-24.5.674-5.346 5.095-10.389 10.676-10.627 4.902-.739 10.103 2.038 12.053 6.631.375 1.435 1.76 1.932 1.994.084 1.844-3.704 5.501-6.739 9.785-6.771.367-.044.735-.068 1.101-.073z\"\/><defs><linearGradient id=\"paint0_linear_549_34\" x1=\"37.0692\" y1=\"0\" x2=\"37.0692\" y2=\"79\" gradientUnits=\"userSpaceOnUse\"><stop stop-color=\"#6364FF\"\/><stop offset=\"1\" stop-color=\"#563ACC\"\/><\/linearGradient><\/defs><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n<p>Even for publishers who feel fatigued by DEI debates (or see them as politically risky) the industry\u2019s quiet retreat carries consequences far beyond internal culture. Diverse leadership and reporting teams are strongly linked to trust, credibility, and the ability to reach younger and underserved audiences. For publishers already fighting audience stagnation and revenue pressures, stepping back from DEI may seem easier in the moment, but it risks undermining long-term growth, relevance, and sustainability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Five years ago, in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, many major businesses in the US announced their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. It was meant to be a period of reckoning with social inequality, one that would have a long-term impact on culture in general.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That was the case at many news outlets, whose coverage had been blinkered by a lack of minority representation. However, half a decade later, we have seen those initiatives stall\u2013or even backslide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dr. Amy Ross Arguedas is a Postdoctoral Researcher Fellow at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, with a particular specialism in trust. She is co-author of <a href=\"https:\/\/reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk\/race-and-leadership-news-media-2025-evidence-five-markets\">the report<\/a> \u2018Race and leadership in the news media 2025: Evidence from five markets\u2019. She describes the situation saying, that \u201cwhere we saw some improvements during the past five or six years\u2026 we just see that things are pretty much back to where they were at the very beginning of all of this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-retreat-on-diversity\"><a><\/a>Retreat on diversity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Reuters Institute study found that \u201cin the US, the percentage of top editors of colour also decreased \u2013 to 15%, compared with 29% last year\u201d. While causality is difficult to establish, similar trends were also observed in the UK:&nbsp; there are \u201cfewer top editors of colour.&#8221; Precisely zero major outlets in the Institute\u2019s sample had a minority editor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Those trends have been exacerbated by a number of job losses across the industry that disproportionately impact minority journalists. For example, Vibe magazine, a rap and R&amp;B-focused magazine originally co-founded by Quincy Jones, was acquired by Penske Media in October. In the immediate aftermath, many of its journalists were laid off, leading to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gofundme.com\/f\/support-vibe-staff-after-layoffs\">a fundraiser<\/a> organized by Vibe reporter Mya Abraham to help the eliminated staffers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Abraham says: \u201cI\u2019m not sure there\u2019s one or several ways to \u201censure\u201d that minorities aren\u2019t disproportionately impacted by layoffs. Several of us have already worked twice as hard to gain half \u2013 or less than \u2013 a non-minority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s unfortunate that we\u2019re often the first to be discarded when media companies restructure or fold completely. It would be great if job security was based on actual merit as opposed to someone just blindly making a decision without knowing your true value.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Similarly, the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) called out the dismantling of minority-focused teams at NBC after a number of job cuts in October. At the time, Errin Haines, NABJ president, said: \u201cthe decision to eliminate these diversity teams goes beyond a line item on a budget, executed at a time when accurate and inclusive storytelling is needed most.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Similarly, the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) has noted the preponderance of job losses among its members.\u00a0Errin Haines, president of The National Association of Black Journalists, said:\u00a0&#8220;When our industry catches a cold, journalists of color catch the flu, because newsroom cuts always disproportionately impact us. Diversity is too often the casualty of media consolidation, downsizing, or layoffs; we are frequently the last hired and first fired. This is not a new phenomenon, but what is new in this climate is political rhetoric that minimizes the value of diverse perspectives and representation across a range of institutions \u2014 including journalism.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-revenue-short-termis-m\"><strong>Revenue short-termis<\/strong>m<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Regardless of the motivations for the job cuts, the question is whether they will deliver any tangible benefit in the long run. As the saying goes, you can\u2019t cut your way to growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That calculation becomes even more precarious when the potential audience upside of diverse coverage is considered. Many media organizations are now relying on reaching new audiences and media companies across the board must prepare for generational turnover. Some, including the LA Times, have launched sub-editions dedicated to reaching minority audiences, which are predicated on being able to speak to that community knowledgeably and authentically. Doing so requires representation in terms of journalists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jendella Benson is head of editorial for <a href=\"https:\/\/blackballad.co.uk\/\">Black Ballad<\/a>. She explains that \u201cAudiences are not \u2018locked in\u2019 to heritage\/mainstream media brands as they once were with so many options out there. They will go wherever they feel their values and concerns are reflected. Even in digital media, we are already seeing some of this happening with audience fragmentation. People are moving away from established media brands for various reasons, and moving towards more \u2018niche\u2019 or highly specific outlets that either share their interests or political perspectives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s a position backed up by the Reuters Institute\u2019s research. Where there isn\u2019t representation, there is a lack of an ability to spot the opportunities to speak to new communities. Dr. Arguedas explains: \u201cAs we note in the fact sheet there can be an argument made in terms of your ability to speak to certain kinds of audiences, to understand their needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the report states, \u201cFailing to address these disparities\u2026 can also potentially erode trust, particularly among marginalized and under-served groups that have for a very long time expressed their discontent and grievances around how their communities are portrayed in the news media.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That is especially important given that a lack of trust in the news media is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.niemanlab.org\/2023\/06\/why-news-subscriptions-feel-like-a-burden-to-young-people\/\">frequently cited<\/a> as one of the main reasons for a lack of financial support for news, particularly among young audiences. Cutting back on diversity, then, leads to a less diverse audience profile in turn, stunting opportunities for audience growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-ethical-and-commercial-synergy\"><strong>Ethical and commercial synergy<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A number of the biggest US-based publications declined to share their future DEI plans for this article. In the UK, where the political situation is perhaps less fraught, national publisher Reach plc cited a number of its ongoing initiatives, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reachplc.com\/news\/2024\/training-programme-for-young-people-underrepresented-backgrounds\">its work with The Prince\u2019s Trust<\/a> to encourage young people from underrepresented backgrounds to get into journalism:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThrough that program we now have 8 young people in our newsrooms on training contracts who might have otherwise found it more difficult to break into the profession. This year we have renewed the program with a focus on regional newsrooms.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Notably, much of the messaging around the DEI initiatives that do still exist, such as those at Reach plc, is predicated on the idea that it is the right thing to do. Increasing equity is the end in itself for some news organizations, rather than a path to profitability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, the two aims are not mutually exclusive. Benson says: \u201cMedia platforms who are offloading \u2018the diversity\u2019 within their newsrooms and editorial departments are essentially accelerating their decline in my opinion. They might be able to keep treading water for now, but when more of Generation Alpha start to age into media consumption, they will find an audience that will not have the inclination to engage with a brand that doesn&#8217;t match their expectations when it comes to basic representation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAnd as we know, advertisers go wherever the audience is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It would not be fair to single out the media industry for that backslide. Companies including Amazon, Disney, Google and Meta have abandoned DEI policies, which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2025\/oct\/30\/more-than-half-of-uk-businesses-changing-strategy-on-ethical-policies-research-finds\">the Guardian attributes<\/a> to pressure placed upon them by the Trump administration. It cites research from law firm Freeths, which found that 22% of respondents said profit motivations came into conflict with ethical and moral concerns at their organization \u201cvery regularly\u201d. 32% said regularly, and 37% said sometimes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The difference is that, for an industry that is predominantly based on audience trust, journalism cannot afford to become any less diverse. Abandoning DEI might be more palatable to the powerful right now, but in the long-term it risks making media outlets less appealing to the young and minority audiences that their future depends upon.<\/p>\n<div class=\"shariff shariff-align-flex-start shariff-widget-align-flex-start\"><ul class=\"shariff-buttons theme-round orientation-horizontal buttonsize-medium\"><li class=\"shariff-button twitter shariff-nocustomcolor\" style=\"background-color:#595959\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdigitalcontentnext.org%2Fblog%2F2025%2F12%2F04%2Fthe-hidden-business-risks-of-pulling-back-on-media-dei%2F&text=The%20hidden%20business%20risks%20of%20pulling%20back%20on%20media%20DEI&via=DCNorg\" title=\"Share on X\" aria-label=\"Share on X\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" class=\"shariff-link\" style=\"; background-color:#000; color:#fff\" target=\"_blank\"><span class=\"shariff-icon\" style=\"\"><svg width=\"32px\" height=\"20px\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"#000\" d=\"M14.258 10.152L23.176 0h-2.113l-7.747 8.813L7.133 0H0l9.352 13.328L0 23.973h2.113l8.176-9.309 6.531 9.309h7.133zm-2.895 3.293l-.949-1.328L2.875 1.56h3.246l6.086 8.523.945 1.328 7.91 11.078h-3.246zm0 0\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"shariff-button linkedin shariff-nocustomcolor\" style=\"background-color:#1488bf\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/sharing\/share-offsite\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdigitalcontentnext.org%2Fblog%2F2025%2F12%2F04%2Fthe-hidden-business-risks-of-pulling-back-on-media-dei%2F\" title=\"Share on LinkedIn\" aria-label=\"Share on LinkedIn\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" class=\"shariff-link\" style=\"; background-color:#0077b5; color:#fff\" target=\"_blank\"><span class=\"shariff-icon\" style=\"\"><svg width=\"32px\" height=\"20px\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 27 32\"><path fill=\"#0077b5\" d=\"M6.2 11.2v17.7h-5.9v-17.7h5.9zM6.6 5.7q0 1.3-0.9 2.2t-2.4 0.9h0q-1.5 0-2.4-0.9t-0.9-2.2 0.9-2.2 2.4-0.9 2.4 0.9 0.9 2.2zM27.4 18.7v10.1h-5.9v-9.5q0-1.9-0.7-2.9t-2.3-1.1q-1.1 0-1.9 0.6t-1.2 1.5q-0.2 0.5-0.2 1.4v9.9h-5.9q0-7.1 0-11.6t0-5.3l0-0.9h5.9v2.6h0q0.4-0.6 0.7-1t1-0.9 1.6-0.8 2-0.3q3 0 4.9 2t1.9 6z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"shariff-button mastodon shariff-nocustomcolor\" style=\"background-color:#563ACC\"><a href=\"https:\/\/s2f.kytta.dev\/?text=The%20hidden%20business%20risks%20of%20pulling%20back%20on%20media%20DEI https%3A%2F%2Fdigitalcontentnext.org%2Fblog%2F2025%2F12%2F04%2Fthe-hidden-business-risks-of-pulling-back-on-media-dei%2F\" title=\"Share on Mastodon\" aria-label=\"Share on Mastodon\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" class=\"shariff-link\" style=\"; background-color:#6364FF; color:#fff\" target=\"_blank\"><span class=\"shariff-icon\" style=\"\"><svg width=\"75\" height=\"79\" viewBox=\"0 0 75 79\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M37.813-.025C32.462-.058 27.114.13 21.79.598c-8.544.621-17.214 5.58-20.203 13.931C-1.12 23.318.408 32.622.465 41.65c.375 7.316.943 14.78 3.392 21.73 4.365 9.465 14.781 14.537 24.782 15.385 7.64.698 15.761-.213 22.517-4.026a54.1 54.1 0 0 0 .01-6.232c-6.855 1.316-14.101 2.609-21.049 1.074-3.883-.88-6.876-4.237-7.25-8.215-1.53-3.988 3.78-.43 5.584-.883 9.048 1.224 18.282.776 27.303-.462 7.044-.837 14.26-4.788 16.65-11.833 2.263-6.135 1.215-12.79 1.698-19.177.06-3.84.09-7.692-.262-11.52C72.596 7.844 63.223.981 53.834.684a219.453 219.453 0 0 0-16.022-.71zm11.294 12.882c5.5-.067 10.801 4.143 11.67 9.653.338 1.48.471 3 .471 4.515v21.088h-8.357c-.07-7.588.153-15.182-.131-22.765-.587-4.368-7.04-5.747-9.672-2.397-2.422 3.04-1.47 7.155-1.67 10.735v6.392h-8.307c-.146-4.996.359-10.045-.404-15.002-1.108-4.218-7.809-5.565-10.094-1.666-1.685 3.046-.712 6.634-.976 9.936v14.767h-8.354c.109-8.165-.238-16.344.215-24.5.674-5.346 5.095-10.389 10.676-10.627 4.902-.739 10.103 2.038 12.053 6.631.375 1.435 1.76 1.932 1.994.084 1.844-3.704 5.501-6.739 9.785-6.771.367-.044.735-.068 1.101-.073z\"\/><defs><linearGradient id=\"paint0_linear_549_34\" x1=\"37.0692\" y1=\"0\" x2=\"37.0692\" y2=\"79\" gradientUnits=\"userSpaceOnUse\"><stop stop-color=\"#6364FF\"\/><stop offset=\"1\" stop-color=\"#563ACC\"\/><\/linearGradient><\/defs><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Even for publishers who feel fatigued by DEI debates (or see them as politically risky) the industry\u2019s quiet retreat carries consequences far beyond internal culture. Diverse leadership and reporting teams&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2697,"featured_media":46465,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[5015,4400,3041],"tags":[4941,37],"coauthors":[3113],"class_list":["post-46463","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-audiences","category-diversity-equity-inclusion","category-featured-post","tag-audience-acquisition","tag-audiences"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.3 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The hidden business risks of pulling back on media DEI - Digital Content Next<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Reducing investment in diversity programs may simplify operations today, but it can limit access to emerging audiences and weaken trust.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/blog\/2025\/12\/04\/the-hidden-business-risks-of-pulling-back-on-media-dei\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The hidden business risks of pulling back on media DEI\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Even for publishers who feel fatigued by DEI debates (or see them as politically risky) the industry\u2019s quiet retreat carries consequences far beyond\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/blog\/2025\/12\/04\/the-hidden-business-risks-of-pulling-back-on-media-dei\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Digital Content Next\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-12-04T12:34:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-12-04T13:24:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/digitalcontentnext.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/MediaDEI.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"867\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Chris M. 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