The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES) has released the latest edition of the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE) Racial and Gender Report Card, which evaluated over 100 newspapers and websites on their hiring of a diverse workforce. The results are stark.

APSE newspapers and websites received a C+ for racial hiring practices, and an F for gender. The combined grade for 2014 was a D, the lowest of all TIDES reports.

The report shows that in 2014, the vast majority of positions were filled by whites, including:

  • 5% of sports editors
  • 2% of assistant sports editors
  • 5% of columnists
  • 85% of reporters
  • 3% of copy editors and designers
  • In addition, the industry was heavily male-dominated:

  • 1% of sports editors
  • 2% of assistant sports editors
  • 6% of columnists
  • 4% of reporters
  • 8% of copy editors and designers
  • The full report can be read on tidesport.org.

    “It remains important to have voices from different backgrounds in the media,” said Richard Lapchick, Ph.D., director of the institute. My primary recommendation to the APSE remains that it adopt a Ralph Wiley Rule, named after the late African-American writer. It would call for a diverse pool of candidates including people of color and women for each opening of these key positions.”

    TIDES, part of the DeVos Sport Business Management program in the UCF College of Business Administration (#UCFBusiness) serves as a comprehensive resources of issues related to gender and race in amateur, collegiate and professional sports.

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    Established in 1968, the UCF College of Business Administration offers degrees at the bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, and executive levels. All programs, as well as the Kenneth G. Dixon School of Accounting are accredited by AACSB International – the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

    The college provides high-quality academic programs designed to give students a competitive advantage in the world of business now and in the future. As such, the college establishes partnerships with some of the nation’s most innovative leaders to model new and best practices that harness evolving technology. In addition, the college promotes a unique culture of engagement, risk-taking, cross-disciplinary collaboration and data-driven decision making in an effort to ensure students are well prepared to enter a dynamic marketplace.

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    The University of Central Florida, the nation’s second-largest university with nearly 60,000 students, has grown in size, quality, diversity and reputation in its first 50 years. Today, the university offers more than 200 degree programs at its main campus in Orlando and more than a dozen other locations. UCF is an economic engine attracting and supporting industries vital to the region’s future while providing students with real-world experiences that help them succeed after graduation. For more information, visit https://www.ucf.edu/news/.