Concerns over Few Asians in Broadcasting, News

AS IT IS 2016-06-13 Concerns over Few Asians in Broadcasting, News

Recent disputes over using white actors to play characters of color in Hollywood films have raised concerns that the media ignore minorities.

Activist¹ groups have called for more minorities to be hired for media jobs. Some Asian Americans worry that they are becoming invisible especially in the entertainment industry.

They say minorities are often underrepresented and their opinions go unheard. Experts say that is a problem in television news also.

Asians represent the fastest growing racial minority in the United States. However, critics say there are few Asian faces reporting news across the country.

Juju Chang is an Asian American news anchor. She questions whether there is enough diversity in top management jobs.

“When I went on air at the network here, I was the only Asian-American and among the few women, and I'm sad to say that many all these many years later, I think that we've gone a long way in terms of diversity in front of the camera, but I think we still have a ways to go behind the scenes, especially in upper management.

Chang says it is important for minorities to take part in the approval process for story ideas.

“Until Asian-Americans get real traction² in that sense, you know, we're going to keep pressing our noses against the invisible window.”

Asians make up about three percent of the broadcast workforce³ while they are over five percent of the U.S population. Angie Chuang is a journalism⁴ professor at American University. She says a cultural bias⁵ may be to blame.

“The truth is that all kinds of psychological studies and employment studies have shown that we tend to favor or be more comfortable with people who are like us.”

Some experts say Asians lack the political power of other minority groups such as African Americans and Hispanics.

One group pressing for greater representation⁶ of Asians in reporting is the Asian American Journalists Association. The group supports Asian-American reporters and those seeking journalism careers.

VOA spoke⁷ with the group's Vice-President for Broadcast Niala Boodhoo on Skype. She says there has been progress in recent years.

“I feel like even having those conversations is something that would not have happened years ago, and I think the fact that we're even having those conversations is a sign of progress.”

A leading broadcast industry group says 2011 was the best year for Asian American broadcasters. That year, Asians made up 3.5 percent of the industry. However, the percentage of Asians has decreased since then.

Many Asian-Americans are concerned issues important to their communities will continue to be misinterpreted or ignored.

Words in This Story

characters – n. people playing parts in a film or play

entertainment – n. amusement or pleasure that comes from watching a performer, playing a game, etc.

invisible – adj. not able to be seen

news anchor –n. the main announcer on-air who delivers the news

diversity – n. including many different types or groups from different ethnic⁸ backgrounds

network – n. a system of connections, sometimes of programs, broadcast to different markets over a large geographical⁹ area

traction – n. (idiomatic) making practice

bias – n. to favor something not supported by facts, or unfair to someone or some group

misinterpret – v. to misunderstand, to not understand correctly

behind the scenes – adj. working or happening privately¹⁰ without being seen

management – n. those who make decisions about a business, department, sports team, etc.

tend – v. likely, or learning to one side

comfortable – adj. causing pleasant feelings

1 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

2 traction   

n.牵引；附着摩擦力

参考例句：

• I'll show you how the traction is applied.我会让你看如何做这种牵引。
• She's injured her back and is in traction for a month.她背部受伤，正在作一个月的牵引治疗。

3 workforce   

n.劳动大军，劳动力

参考例句：

• A large part of the workforce is employed in agriculture.劳动人口中一大部分受雇于农业。
• A quarter of the local workforce is unemployed.本地劳动力中有四分之一失业。

4 journalism   

n.新闻工作，报业

参考例句：

• He's a teacher but he does some journalism on the side.他是教师，可还兼职做一些新闻工作。
• He had an aptitude for journalism.他有从事新闻工作的才能。

5 bias   

n.偏见，偏心，偏袒；vt.使有偏见

参考例句：

• They are accusing the teacher of political bias in his marking.他们在指控那名教师打分数有政治偏见。
• He had a bias toward the plan.他对这项计划有偏见。

6 representation   

n.表现某人（或某事物）的东西，图画，雕塑

参考例句：

• The painting is a representation of a storm at sea.这幅画描绘的是海上的暴风雨。
• All parties won representation in the national assembly.所有政党在国民大会中都赢得了代表资格。

7 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

8 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

9 geographical   

adj.地理的；地区(性)的

参考例句：

• The current survey will have a wider geographical spread.当前的调查将在更广泛的地域范围內进行。
• These birds have a wide geographical distribution.这些鸟的地理分布很广。

10 privately   

adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地

参考例句：

• Some ministers admit privately that unemployment could continue to rise.一些部长私下承认失业率可能继续升高。
• The man privately admits that his motive is profits.那人私下承认他的动机是为了牟利。