NABJ Speaks Out on NBC Layoffs Eroding Diverse Voices

The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) is deeply disappointed by NBC News’ recent layoffs, which includes the  dismantling of the dedicated teams behind NBC BLK, NBC Asian America, NBC Latino, and NBC OUT. These decisions not only cost talented journalists their jobs, but also weaken the industry’s commitment to equitable and representative storytelling.

On Wednesday, NABJ joined the leaders of NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists joined, the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA), and the Journalism and Women Symposium (JAWS), to discuss recent layoffs with leaders at NBC News.   In the meeting, NBC reaffirmed its commitment to covering marginalized communities, and to our respective organizations, and said they remain steadfast in ensuring NBC’s workforce represents the diverse communities it covers.

For more than  a decade, the NBC BLK vertical and its counterparts have served as essential platforms amplifying voices, stories, and perspectives too often overlooked in mainstream media. NABJ especially acknowledges the groundbreaking work of our members and colleagues like Ryan Williams and Amber Payne who co-founded NBC BLK, and Michelle Garcia who carried on their legacy as the vertical’s last editorial director.  Their contributions advanced the industry’s understanding of culture, community, and truth in journalism.

At a time when diversity and inclusion efforts are under attack across industries, NBC’s cuts send a chilling message, but we know that inclusion is not optional. Diversity in newsrooms is not a luxury or a trend. It is a moral, journalistic and business imperative, and dismantling the very teams that have elevated underrepresented voices undermines the progress that has taken decades to build.

“The 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,” says Errin Haines, NABJ president and founding mother of The 19th. “The journalists behind NBC BLK, NBC Latino, NBC Asian America and NBC OUT have chronicled our communities with depth, nuance and humanity. If anything, their work has strengthened our democracy and expanded our nation’s understanding of itself; therefore, in accountability, we call upon NBC’s leadership to recommit to the values they publicly claim to hold.”

“Diversity matters, especially now, because of the political and cultural pressures of the moment,” said Walter Smith Randolph, NABJ’s VP-Broadcast. “We salute our members who told our stories on a national platform. While NBC BLK will be a shell of what it once was, we know our members will continue to amplify our voices and tell the stories of the Black experience.” 

In the meantime, our thoughts and support are with the talented journalists who have lost their jobs. NABJ stands in solidarity with them, ready to help navigate through this transition and continue to fight for a media landscape that values representation, fairness, and truth.

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NABJ Board of Directors
National Association of Black Journalists