An evaluative examination that challenges the media to rise above the systematic racism and sexism that persists across all channels, despite efforts to integrate. The Internet and social networks have opened up new avenues of communication for women and people of color, but the mainstream news is still not adequately including minority communities in the conversation. Part of the Racism in America series, How Racism and Sexism Killed the Traditional Media: Why the Future of Journalism Depends on Women and People of Color reveals the lack of diversity that persists in the communication industry. Uncovering and analyzing the racial bias in the media and in many newsrooms, this book reveals the lesser-known side of the media-newsrooms and outlets that are often fraught with underlying racist and sexist tension. Written by a veteran journalist of color, this title brings an insider's perspective combined with interviews from industry experts. The book analyzes the traditional media's efforts to integrate both women and people of color into legacy newsrooms, highlighting their defeats and minor successes. The author examines the future of women and people of color in the mainstream media. Gives a thorough background on the history of minority-produced media Highlights ideas for improving hiring practices and coverage for minorities Identifies the growing number of news consumers who are people of color Provides a chronology of diversity efforts in legacy newsrooms Includes material derived from interviews with experts like Dori J. Maynard with the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education and veteran journalists like Ellis Cose and Danyel Smith

"Lovely and timely. So glad Joshunda is telling our stories." - Jacqueline Woodson Eight-year-old Ava Murray wants to know why there's a difference between the warm, friendly Bronx neighborhood filled with music and art in which she lives and the Bronx she sees in news stories on TV and on the Internet. When her mother explains that the power of stories lies in the hands of those who write them, Ava decides to become a journalist. I Can Write the World follows Ava as she explores her vibrant South Bronx neighborhood - buildings whose walls boast gorgeous murals of historical figures as well as intricate, colorful street art, the dozens of different languages and dialects coming from the mouths of passersby, the many types of music coming out of neighbors' windows and passing cars. In reporting how the music and art and culture of her neighborhood reflect the diversity of the people of New York City, Ava shows the world as she sees it, revealing to children the power of their own voice.