Savannah Morning News... Racial diversity of its news staff and community

Comparing the racial diversity of the journalists

at America's daily newspapers

with the communities that they serve

Newsroom diversity report for

Savannah Morning News

Savannah, Georgia

Owner: Morris Communications (Ga.)

From a report for the Knight Foundation

by Bill Dedman and Stephen K. Doig, June 2005

Click here to read the national report or to select another newspaper

Year

Non-white % of newsroom staff

2005

6.5

2004

8.9

2003

7.8

2002

3.6

2001

Did not report

2000

Did not report

1999

Did not report

1998

Did not report

1997

13.4

1996

Did not report

1995

Did not report

1994

Did not report

1993

Did not report

1992

Did not report

1991

Did not report

1990

Did not report

The latest year at peak is

1997

See the notes and definitions section below for the sources of these figures.

Newsroom Diversity Index

for Savannah Morning News

Year

Non-white % of newsroom staff

Non-white % of circulation area

Newsroom Diversity Index (parity=100)

2005

6.5

39.5

2004

8.9

39.2

How the index is calculated

The Newsroom Diversity Index is the non-white percentage of the newsroom staff

divided by the non-white percentage of residents in the circulation area.

(Parity = 100.)

Company index

This newspaper's owner, Morris Communications (Ga.),

has a companywide, circulation-weighted Diversity Index of 21.

See the notes and definitions section below for the sources of these figures.

Peer group comparison

for Savannah Morning News

This newspaper's Newsroom Diversity Index is 16.

This paper

Peer group

Compare that with 50, which is the median Diversity Index for all newspapers

reporting in this circulation category of 50,001 to 100,000 daily sales.

In that group, this newspaper's Diversity Index ranks 87 out of 90

newspapers reporting in the category of 50,001 to 100,000 daily sales.

An example of a newspaper of similar circulation, in an area of similar level of non-white residents, but one that has a relatively high Diversity Index, is The Times, Shreveport, Louisiana, with a 31.1 percent non-white staff in a community that is 41.3 percent non-white. Its index is 75.

FYI, in circulation, this newspaper's average weekday circulation of

approximately 53,825 ranks 188 out of 1,410 daily newspapers in the US.

See the notes and definitions section below for the sources of these figures.

Details on race/ethnicity

in the circulation area

and the home county

of Savannah Morning News

Circulation area

Race/ethnicity

% of population

Number of residents

Hispanic

3.8

16,205

Black

32.9

139,510

Asian and Pacific Islander

1.2

5,237

Native-American

0.2

978

Other non-white

0.1

450

Multi-racial

1.0

4,020

Non-white

39.2

166,400

White

60.8

257,747

Total

424,147

Home county: Chatham

Race/ethnicity

% of population

Number of residents

Hispanic

2.3

5,403

Black

40.3

93,463

Asian and Pacific Islander

1.8

4,120

Native-American

0.2

517

Other non-white

0.1

311

Multi-racial

1.1

2,432

Non-white

45.8

106,246

White

54.2

125,802

Total

232,048

The home county of this newspaper is Chatham.

About this report

This third annual report for the Knight Foundation adds context to an annual survey by the American Society of Newspaper Editors. ASNE has set a goal that

every newspaper, to help it know its community and gather the news, should employ at least one non-white journalist, and that newspapers should strive to

employ non-whites in proportion to their share of the community. ASNE's report, at www.asne.org, shows each newspaper's non-white employment, but does

not disclose how closely that employment mirrors the newspaper's circulation area.

That gap is filled by the report you are reading now. This report was not done by ASNE, but was done for the Knight Foundation by Bill Dedman and

Stephen K. Doig. It shows how close each newspaper is to ASNE's goal, by comparing the newsroom staffing with the circulation area population.

The full report is at www.powerreporting.com/knight.

Notes and definitions

1. The Newsroom Diversity Index is the non-white percentage of the newsroom staff divided by the non-white percentage of the circulation area's residents. Parity = 100.

2. Source for staffing: Survey by American Society of Newspaper Editors, April 2005. Newspapers report non-white staff as of the end of the previous year.

3. Following ASNE's definition, newsroom staff includes only supervisors, reporters, editors, copy/layout editors and photographers.

4. Also following ASNE's definition, "whites," "blacks," etc., exclude Hispanics, who are counted in a separate category.

5. Source for boundaries of this newspaper's circulation area: ZIP Code circulation data, Audit Bureau of Circulations, latest available.

6. A paper may define its circulation area differently for marketing efforts, or news coverage, or to set advertising rates.

7. If ZIP Codes or counties are used, this report applies a threshold: 10 percent household penetration is required to include an area in the circulation area.

8. Source for the demographics of residents of that circulation area: US Census 2000.

9. Source for total circulation: Editor & Publisher magazine, Monday-Friday average at year-end 2004.

10. Staff of non-English publications, such as the Miami Herald's El Nuevo Herald, are excluded from the ASNE staffing survey for the first time this year.

Demographics of ZIP Codes

where sales were reported by

Savannah Morning News

Note that some ZIP Codes listed here may not have been included in determining the newspaper's circulation area. In calculating the Diversity Index, a

ZIP Code was included only if the household penetration was at least 10 percent. Any lower-penetration ZIP Codes are also listed here for your information.

Also, if the newspaper reported more than 300 ZIP Codes, only the top 300 in weekday sales are listed here.

ZIP / City / State / Approx. distance in miles from the newspaper's home office

Weekday sales

Households

Penetration % (daily sales per 100 households)

Median household income

Non-white
% of
population

Hispanic
% of
population

Black
% of
population

Native
% of
population

Asian
% of
population

31406 / Savannah / GA / 14.7 mi.

5,721

13,516

42.3

$42,875

35.2

2.6

29.1

0.2

2.1

31404 / Thunderbolt / GA / 14.8 mi.

4,627

12,020

38.5

$28,564

70.5

1.1

66.2

0.2

1.9

31419 / Savannah / GA / 11.1 mi.

4,527

16,126

28.1

$42,173

36.8

4.1

28.1

0.3

2.6

31405 / Savannah / GA / 11.6 mi.

4,298

12,169

35.3

$33,947

53.6

2.4

49.0

0.3

0.9

31410 / Wilmington Island / GA / 21.5 mi.

3,909

8,721

44.8

$60,182

12.0

1.6

6.0

0.1

3.3

31401 / Savannah / GA / 12.6 mi.

3,275

8,960

36.6

$18,100

69.5

1.4

65.6

0.2

1.4

31411 / Village Station / GA / 19.2 mi.

2,297

3,207

71.6

$96,229

3.0

0.8

0.5

0.0

1.4

31324 / Richmond Hill / GA / 14.5 mi.

1,834

4,942

37.1

$59,190

15.8

2.6

10.5

0.3

1.1

31408 / Savannah / GA / 8.5 mi.

1,718

3,865

44.5

$29,034

55.6

5.9

47.1

0.3

1.0

31312 / Pineora / GA / 14.7 mi.

1,575

3,760

41.9

$46,760

11.8

1.2

9.0

0.3

31415 / Savannah / GA / 11.2 mi.

1,489

4,774

31.2

$18,830

99.3

0.6

97.8

0.1

31326 / Rincon / GA / 13.6 mi.

1,297

4,323

30.0

$51,455

14.6

2.0

10.5

0.2

0.9

31322 / Savannah / GA / 4.8 mi.

1,234

2,211

55.8

$47,485

12.6

1.2

7.6

0.2

2.1

31313 / Hinesville / GA / 21.9 mi.

924

12,414

7.4

$34,433

58.8

8.7

43.7

0.4

2.7

30458 / Statesboro / GA / 33.2 mi.

856

12,100

7.1

$24,343

38.3

2.1

34.1

0.1

1.1

31328 / Tybee Island / GA / 27 mi.

839

1,704

49.2

$50,368

5.0

1.4

1.8

0.6

0.8

29910 / Spring Island / SC / 27.4 mi.

737

7,198

10.2

$54,017

19.0

5.2

12.5

0.2

0.4

31407 / Savannah / GA / 9.8 mi.

707

1,272

55.6

$42,414

19.3

3.1

14.0

0.5

1.1

31545 / McKinnon / GA / 43.3 mi.

696

5,212

13.4

$31,849

24.6

3.6

19.3

0.3

0.5

31302 / Bloomingdale / GA / 2.4 mi.

632

2,778

22.8

$43,799

7.2

1.0

4.5

0.5

0.4

30474 / Vidalia / GA / 59.2 mi.

584

5,959

9.8

$28,902

35.0

5.2

28.5

0.1

0.7

30427 / Tison / GA / 33.9 mi.

542

3,754

14.4

$31,236

40.1

10.1

28.9

0.1

0.4

29926 / Hilton Head Island / SC / 33.9 mi.

535

7,621

7.0

$59,917

24.9

11.9

0.1

0.5

31320 / Midway / GA / 17.9 mi.

512

2,562

20.0

$34,014

39.0

1.5

35.6

0.2

0.6

31315 / Hinesville / GA / 19.8 mi.

494

2,434

20.3

$30,738

56.5

12.6

38.0

0.6

1.9

31321 / Pembroke / GA / 16.2 mi.

475

2,035

23.3

$36,103

27.3

1.0

24.7

0.1

0.4

30417 / Claxton / GA / 31.7 mi.

464

3,413

13.6

$25,672

38.3

5.4

32.0

0.1

0.3

30467 / Sylvania / GA / 45.2 mi.

449

5,021

8.9

$29,384

46.6

0.9

45.0

0.1

0.3

29928 / Hilton Head Island / SC / 32 mi.

434

7,798

5.6

$62,351

14.5

9.8

3.3

0.1

0.5

30439 / Metter / GA / 44.4 mi.

430

3,105

13.8

$24,659

37.6

9.1

27.5

0.1

0.3

30436 / Santa Claus / GA / 54.5 mi.

412

4,218

9.8

$25,043

31.4

13.2

17.5

0.2

0.1

31513 / Pine Grove / GA / 59.4 mi.

385

5,829

6.6

$30,255

25.7

4.7

20.0

0.2

0.3

30453 / Reidsville / GA / 42.9 mi.

336

2,185

15.4

$27,938

49.5

10.8

37.7

0.1

0.3

30401 / Wesley / GA / 63.5 mi.

313

4,676

6.7

$25,082

41.1

2.5

37.7

0.1

0.3

31316 / Ludowici / GA / 32.2 mi.

313

2,105

14.9

$31,281

26.9

3.4

20.5

0.7

0.8

29936 / Switzerland / SC / 31.3 mi.

305

3,710

8.2

$30,240

56.2

3.8

51.2

0.3

29902 / Parris Island / SC / 40.7 mi.

295

9,098

3.2

$43,066

30.6

5.1

22.4

0.3

1.3

29927 / Purysburgh / SC / 18.6 mi.

271

2,301

11.8

$33,695

63.1

11.4

50.1

0.3

0.9

30421 / Collins / GA / 42.7 mi.

246

1,080

22.8

$24,961

30.6

6.4

23.4

0.2

0.1

31329 / Stillwell / GA / 17.6 mi.

237

2,448

9.7

$42,054

23.6

1.4

21.1

0.4

0.1

31308 / Ellabell / GA / 9.6 mi.

208

2,285

9.1

$34,759

12.1

0.9

9.7

0.3

0.2

31305 / Darien / GA / 46.6 mi.

201

1,938

10.4

$29,824

38.6

1.1

35.8

0.5

30415 / Stilson / GA / 25.5 mi.

196

1,983

9.9

$38,211

13.4

1.0

11.8

0.3

0.1

31303 / Clyo / GA / 27.2 mi.

185

715

25.9

$41,447

40.6

0.4

38.0

0.3

0.4

31318 / Meldrim / GA / 3.9 mi.

171

275.8

$37,273

11.1

2.5

5.6

1.9

1.2

30438 / Manassas / GA / 39.2 mi.

169

192.0

$25,694

50.0

1.4

48.7

0.0

31560 / Screven / GA / 54.3 mi.

160

902

17.7

$30,482

17.6

1.2

16.0

0.1

0.0

31520 / Brunswick / GA / 59.8 mi.

155

8,576

1.8

$23,898

57.9

5.1

51.1

0.2

0.4

31539 / Roper / GA / 70.8 mi.

152

4,579

3.3

$27,451

21.6

5.1

15.3

0.2

0.5

31307 / Eden / GA / 5.8 mi.

150

315

47.6

$35,326

15.2

1.6

12.7

0.1

0.4

31323 / South Newport / GA / 24.9 mi.

144

595

24.2

$26,296

85.5

0.8

84.3

0.0

30442 / Thrift / GA / 56.4 mi.

138

2,902

4.8

$23,617

47.8

3.5

43.3

0.1

0.2

29918 / Nixville / SC / 42.9 mi.

127

1,831

6.9

$23,679

74.2

6.1

67.5

0.2

0.1

30471 / Twin City / GA / 57.3 mi.

119

1,514

7.9

$25,382

38.8

1.9

36.4

0.1

0.0

30420 / Cobbtown / GA / 44.4 mi.

771

12.8

$27,100

29.8

13.3

15.7

0.3

0.1

31331 / Townsend / GA / 46.5 mi.

2,089

4.2

$31,696

37.9

0.8

35.6

0.3

0.2

31522 / Saint Simons Island / GA / 60.2 mi.

6,756

1.0

$61,005

7.1

1.8

3.8

0.1

0.9

31510 / Rockingham / GA / 71.6 mi.

3,371

2.0

$26,804

22.1

3.6

17.1

0.1

0.3

30473 / Uvalda / GA / 64.5 mi.

1,075

6.0

$26,462

24.8

10.2

14.1

0.0

0.1

31555 / Odum / GA / 46.5 mi.

923

6.1

$39,167

12.2

1.7

9.1

0.4

0.2

30445 / Mount Vernon / GA / 69.2 mi.

979

5.2

$28,792

43.5

2.5

40.3

0.1

0.4

30446 / Newington / GA / 40 mi.

510

9.8

$26,277

47.7

1.9

44.9

0.1

31516 / Blackshear / GA / 71.9 mi.

4,566

1.1

$29,659

13.2

1.7

10.6

0.2

31563 / Surrency / GA / 54.4 mi.

505

8.9

$28,924

24.4

3.6

20.0

0.2

30461 / Statesboro / GA / 33.9 mi.

3,857

1.1

$37,290

27.5

1.2

24.8

0.1

0.9

31503 / Waycross / GA / 80.4 mi.

7,546

0.6

$30,507

19.1

2.1

16.1

0.2

31501 / Waycross / GA / 79.5 mi.

6,024

0.7

$25,700

47.2

1.2

44.3

0.1

0.9

31527 / Jekyll Island / GA / 66.1 mi.

485

7.6

$58,056

3.3

1.1

1.5

0.0

0.4

30425 / Garfield / GA / 51.7 mi.

534

5.6

$28,295

30.9

2.4

28.1

0.0

0.2

30452 / Register / GA / 32.9 mi.

479

6.3

$28,421

36.4

1.0

34.6

0.1

0.2

29920 / Saint Helena Island / SC / 48.5 mi.

3,761

0.7

$39,428

60.3

3.6

55.8

0.1

0.3

30455 / Rocky Ford / GA / 42.5 mi.

286

9.1

$33,750

38.5

0.1

37.8

0.0

0.5

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