The “news” is something we often take for granted. It’s ubiquitous in our lives with the technological connectivity we have in today’s busy world. We receive regular news feeds on our phones, and when there is a major breaking story, all the major networks preempt programming to cover the event. Even our friends post updates to the latest news story on Facebook, ensuring that we always know what is going on around us. But when it comes to news organizations, we want them to be unbiased and present coverage in a fair and transparent manner. We want to know that the information we receive is truthful and offers the facts, not opinions or personal agendas. We also expect that those organizations are being fair and transparent behind the scenes with their human resources. That’s why, in 2017, the news industry itself became the leading news story. Allegedly, CNN, Fox News, and the New York Times were discriminating against nonwhite employees. The shock of this sent reverberations across the industry. CNN, which was launched in 1980, was America’s first 24-hour, all-news network. It is broadcast into nearly 100 million homes and has often been at the forefront of breaking major world news stories. However, a group of 175 former and current employees have contacted attorneys about a class-action lawsuit against the cable network. According to the claimants, the headquarters are fraught with racism, with black employees being paid thousands less than their white counterparts. The allegations also include comments made by managers to black employees regarding slavery and that it’s “hard to manage black people.

1. Assess the allegations against CNN, Fox News, and the New York Times. What is being claimed by those filing the lawsuits?

2. If these allegations are found to be true, what steps should each organization take to ensure that this does not happen again? If they are found to be false, is there anything each company can do to continue to show its commitment to diversity?

3. Why is it important for companies to have a diverse workforce? What impact would a homogeneous group of employees have if they were all white males, for example?