In 2006, network news seemed to enter a new period of racial and gender diversity: Katie Couric was appointed anchor of the CBS Evening News, NBC’s Ann Curry filled multiple roles, and Martin Bashir anchored ABC’s Nightline. However, although researchers have analyzed representation on specific news programming (such as the evening newscast), talent demographics in the overall news picture have gone unexamined. This study involves a content analysis of all network news programs from a sample week in 2007, comparing results with similar data gathered in 1987. It finds in the 20-year period, networks have become more diverse, with women and minorities (men and women) anchoring and reporting on a regular basis across the news spectrum. At the same time, networks demonstrate a shift in news covered, with a move to what some have dubbed increased commercialization, or “soft” news. The study argues these findings indicate that our definition of news might be changing from the traditional hard/soft divide.
