National Association of Black Journalists Blasts CNN for Lack of Executive Diversity

The journalism organization placed CNN on a “special media monitoring list” to track any efforts to fix the problem.

The National Association of Black Journalists released a scathing statement on Tuesday, saying it has placed CNN on a “special media monitoring list” because the journalism org is “concerned about the lack of black representation within the ranks of CNN’s executive news managers and direct reports to CNN President Jeff Zucker.” The NABJ noted how there are “no black executive producers” at CNN and no black vice-presidents or senior vice-presidents on the news side. CNN said in a statement later Tuesday afternoon that it would not meet with the NABJ if Roland Martin, a former CNN contributor who now the NABJ’s vice president of digital, attended the discussion. The network has accused Martin of leaking questions from a CNN 2016 Democratic primary town-hall event, which were then infamously shared with Hillary Clinton’s campaign. During his career at CNN, Martin was temporarily suspended in 2012 after making homophobic comments, and subsequently did not have his contract renewed. —Maxwell Tani

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Maxwell TaniMedia reporter

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