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 16
2004 8.9 39.2 23
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 0.3
31415 / Savannah / GA / 11.2 mi. 1,489 4,774 31.2 $18,830 99.3 0.6 97.8 0.1 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 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 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 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 62 275.8 $37,273 11.1 2.5 5.6 1.9 1.2
30438 / Manassas / GA / 39.2 mi. 169 88 192.0 $25,694 50.0 1.4 48.7 0.0 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 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. 99 771 12.8 $27,100 29.8 13.3 15.7 0.3 0.1
31331 / Townsend / GA / 46.5 mi. 87 2,089 4.2 $31,696 37.9 0.8 35.6 0.3 0.2
31522 / Saint Simons Island / GA / 60.2 mi. 68 6,756 1.0 $61,005 7.1 1.8 3.8 0.1 0.9
31510 / Rockingham / GA / 71.6 mi. 67 3,371 2.0 $26,804 22.1 3.6 17.1 0.1 0.3
30473 / Uvalda / GA / 64.5 mi. 64 1,075 6.0 $26,462 24.8 10.2 14.1 0.0 0.1
31555 / Odum / GA / 46.5 mi. 56 923 6.1 $39,167 12.2 1.7 9.1 0.4 0.2
30445 / Mount Vernon / GA / 69.2 mi. 51 979 5.2 $28,792 43.5 2.5 40.3 0.1 0.4
30446 / Newington / GA / 40 mi. 50 510 9.8 $26,277 47.7 1.9 44.9 0.1 0.1
31516 / Blackshear / GA / 71.9 mi. 48 4,566 1.1 $29,659 13.2 1.7 10.6 0.2 0.2
31563 / Surrency / GA / 54.4 mi. 45 505 8.9 $28,924 24.4 3.6 20.0 0.2 0.2
30461 / Statesboro / GA / 33.9 mi. 42 3,857 1.1 $37,290 27.5 1.2 24.8 0.1 0.9
31503 / Waycross / GA / 80.4 mi. 42 7,546 0.6 $30,507 19.1 2.1 16.1 0.2 0.2
31501 / Waycross / GA / 79.5 mi. 41 6,024 0.7 $25,700 47.2 1.2 44.3 0.1 0.9
31527 / Jekyll Island / GA / 66.1 mi. 37 485 7.6 $58,056 3.3 1.1 1.5 0.0 0.4
30425 / Garfield / GA / 51.7 mi. 30 534 5.6 $28,295 30.9 2.4 28.1 0.0 0.2
30452 / Register / GA / 32.9 mi. 30 479 6.3 $28,421 36.4 1.0 34.6 0.1 0.2
29920 / Saint Helena Island / SC / 48.5 mi. 26 3,761 0.7 $39,428 60.3 3.6 55.8 0.1 0.3
30455 / Rocky Ford / GA / 42.5 mi. 26 286 9.1 $33,750 38.5 0.1 37.8 0.0 0.5
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