The Augusta Chronicle... 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

The Augusta Chronicle

Augusta, 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

9.0

2004

Did not report

2003

8.2

2002

9.6

2001

10.3

2000

12.7

1999

9.1

1998

9.4

1997

11.4

1996

11.1

1995

8.5

1994

9.7

1993

9.2

1992

9.6

1991

10.0

1990

7.9

The latest year at peak is

2000

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

Newsroom Diversity Index

for The Augusta Chronicle

Year

Non-white % of newsroom staff

Non-white % of circulation area

Newsroom Diversity Index (parity=100)

2005

9.0

41.8

2004

N/A

41.8

N/A

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 The Augusta Chronicle

This newspaper's Newsroom Diversity Index is 22.

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 79 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 73,069 ranks 135 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 The Augusta Chronicle

Circulation area

Race/ethnicity

% of population

Number of residents

Hispanic

2.3

12,821

Black

36.7

204,116

Asian and Pacific Islander

1.3

7,465

Native-American

0.3

1,453

Other non-white

0.1

656

Multi-racial

1.1

6,175

Non-white

41.8

232,686

White

58.2

323,994

Total

556,680

Home county: Richmond

Race/ethnicity

% of population

Number of residents

Hispanic

2.8

5,545

Black

49.4

98,584

Asian and Pacific Islander

1.6

3,177

Native-American

0.3

506

Other non-white

0.2

361

Multi-racial

1.5

2,942

Non-white

55.6

111,115

White

44.4

88,660

Total

199,775

The home county of this newspaper is Richmond.

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

The Augusta Chronicle

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

30906 / Peach Orchard / GA / 5.9 mi.

9,201

20,670

44.5

$33,680

60.1

2.6

54.3

0.2

1.3

30907 / Martinez / GA / 7.9 mi.

8,356

17,078

48.9

$54,222

19.1

2.5

10.3

0.2

4.6

30909 / Forest Hills / GA / 5.4 mi.

5,884

15,358

38.3

$38,947

40.6

2.9

33.9

0.2

2.0

30901 / Augusta / GA / 0.8 mi.

5,881

8,592

68.4

$14,232

89.3

1.1

86.3

0.2

0.7

30809 / Evans / GA / 10.2 mi.

5,425

8,452

64.2

$70,809

16.6

1.9

9.2

0.3

3.8

29841 / North Augusta / SC / 3.1 mi.

5,276

12,435

42.4

$39,211

27.0

2.8

22.0

0.3

0.9

30904 / Augusta / GA / 2.4 mi.

4,514

12,283

36.8

$27,372

47.5

1.7

43.0

0.3

1.2

30815 / Hephzibah / GA / 10 mi.

3,807

12,392

30.7

$39,345

57.1

3.1

49.9

0.3

1.8

29801 / Aiken / SC / 15.1 mi.

2,578

10,025

25.7

$31,661

47.0

1.6

43.6

0.2

0.3

29803 / Aiken / SC / 13.3 mi.

2,553

11,911

21.4

$52,766

19.6

2.0

15.0

0.3

1.3

30813 / Grovetown / GA / 12.9 mi.

2,217

5,519

40.2

$40,902

25.0

4.9

16.2

0.4

1.5

30824 / Winfield / GA / 28.6 mi.

1,727

6,368

27.1

$32,495

43.8

1.1

41.6

0.2

0.4

29860 / North Augusta / SC / 1.9 mi.

1,471

3,842

38.3

$52,720

17.9

0.9

15.6

0.2

0.6

30830 / Waynesboro / GA / 24.7 mi.

1,424

4,687

30.4

$27,610

57.9

1.3

55.3

0.3

0.2

30814 / Pumpkin Center / GA / 18.9 mi.

1,057

2,495

42.4

$36,765

23.5

1.9

19.3

0.4

0.7

30802 / Pollards Corner / GA / 19.2 mi.

777

1,745

44.5

$49,467

24.5

1.1

21.4

0.5

0.7

30817 / Sybert / GA / 36.1 mi.

711

3,071

23.2

$31,750

36.8

0.9

34.9

0.3

0.1

30434 / Vidette / GA / 38.5 mi.

678

2,231

30.4

$24,922

66.4

1.1

64.7

0.1

0.3

29829 / Graniteville / SC / 9.4 mi.

654

2,678

24.4

$34,757

31.0

2.1

26.8

0.6

0.3

29824 / Pleasant Lane / SC / 20.3 mi.

635

2,560

24.8

$31,670

53.2

3.0

49.2

0.4

0.2

29842 / North Augusta / SC / 6.3 mi.

591

2,473

23.9

$35,307

42.5

2.9

38.3

0.4

0.2

30673 / Washington / GA / 45 mi.

591

3,248

18.2

$28,431

48.9

1.9

45.7

0.2

0.3

30833 / Wrens / GA / 28.4 mi.

566

1,526

37.1

$24,865

57.4

1.9

54.2

0.2

0.1

29831 / Savannah River Plant / SC / 11.9 mi.

555

1,689

32.9

$35,872

26.7

1.9

23.0

0.7

0.3

29835 / Willington / SC / 33.3 mi.

546

2,508

21.8

$32,151

56.6

0.7

54.9

0.1

0.3

30442 / Thrift / GA / 43 mi.

501

2,902

17.3

$23,617

47.8

3.5

43.3

0.1

0.2

29832 / Johnston / SC / 24.8 mi.

469

2,118

22.1

$28,636

58.1

2.5

54.6

0.2

30401 / Wesley / GA / 59.8 mi.

400

4,676

8.6

$25,082

41.1

2.5

37.7

0.1

0.3

30828 / Warrenton / GA / 37.7 mi.

386

1,677

23.0

$27,324

63.5

1.1

61.7

0.1

29847 / Trenton / SC / 15.6 mi.

326

1,363

23.9

$35,487

52.8

3.0

48.3

0.4

0.0

30808 / Dearing / GA / 28.5 mi.

322

1,606

20.0

$30,895

24.0

2.0

20.5

0.2

0.4

29812 / Snelling / SC / 35.9 mi.

312

4,622

6.8

$31,006

41.2

1.9

37.6

0.4

0.6

29851 / Warrenville / SC / 8.3 mi.

287

2,702

10.6

$28,699

13.3

1.3

9.9

0.5

0.4

29822 / Clearwater / SC / 4.2 mi.

281

204

137.7

$21,250

35.8

1.4

30.7

1.8

0.4

30467 / Sylvania / GA / 49.9 mi.

253

5,021

5.0

$29,384

46.6

0.9

45.0

0.1

0.3

30905 / Fort Gordon / GA / 9.2 mi.

239

859

27.8

$37,803

48.8

10.7

32.3

0.6

2.5

29853 / Williston / SC / 29.5 mi.

232

2,629

8.8

$28,229

43.0

1.0

40.3

0.5

0.1

30477 / Wadley / GA / 45.8 mi.

230

1,178

19.5

$20,603

68.4

2.5

65.3

0.1

0.0

31082 / Sandersville / GA / 55.4 mi.

230

3,985

5.8

$30,173

53.7

0.4

52.4

0.1

0.5

30805 / Ellwood / GA / 12.1 mi.

221

607

36.4

$40,357

26.2

2.7

19.5

0.1

1.9

29809 / New Ellenton / SC / 15.4 mi.

211

1,005

21.0

$38,237

34.1

2.1

30.1

0.4

30810 / Gibson / GA / 37.3 mi.

186

707

26.3

$29,226

8.7

0.2

8.0

0.2

0.0

29816 / Bath / SC / 5.7 mi.

165

433

38.1

$24,250

20.2

0.5

18.2

0.4

0.6

29821 / Clarks Hill / SC / 14.6 mi.

161

362

44.5

$36,310

40.7

0.6

38.4

0.5

0.2

29834 / Langley / SC / 7 mi.

135

446

30.3

$21,546

7.8

0.8

3.9

1.1

0.9

30441 / Midville / GA / 39.3 mi.

129

774

16.7

$25,865

52.6

1.3

49.7

0.3

0.1

30823 / Stapleton / GA / 31.5 mi.

121

579

20.9

$31,518

42.0

0.5

40.8

0.5

0.0

30816 / Keysville / GA / 22.6 mi.

114

702

16.2

$28,312

49.4

1.6

45.9

0.2

0.6

30456 / Sardis / GA / 34 mi.

113

725

15.6

$28,260

49.0

0.7

47.9

0.0

0.1

29805 / Aiken / SC / 23 mi.

107

1,818

5.9

$40,641

19.8

0.9

17.4

0.4

0.3

30631 / Crawfordville / GA / 50.1 mi.

104

892

11.7

$24,545

60.8

0.9

59.0

0.1

29810 / Seigling / SC / 46.6 mi.

103

2,100

4.9

$18,399

78.4

2.3

75.4

0.0

0.1

31096 / Wrightsville / GA / 63.2 mi.

103

2,419

4.3

$24,292

45.4

1.0

43.9

0.1

0.2

29138 / Saluda / SC / 35.9 mi.

100

3,607

2.8

$35,780

44.6

10.6

33.3

0.2

0.1

30413 / Bartow / GA / 47.6 mi.

652

13.2

$26,250

57.4

1.3

55.5

0.1

30820 / Shoals / GA / 42 mi.

453

19.0

$27,450

31.1

0.4

29.5

0.2

0.0

29838 / Modoc / SC / 20.2 mi.

208

33.2

$41,719

1.5

1.1

0.2

0.0

31087 / Sparta / GA / 55.6 mi.

3,176

2.1

$22,174

78.3

0.5

77.1

0.2

0.1

29828 / Gloverville / SC / 8.2 mi.

469

13.0

$19,440

17.1

0.4

15.5

0.1

0.0

30668 / Tignall / GA / 49.7 mi.

873

6.6

$27,389

34.9

2.2

32.1

0.2

0.1

30821 / Norwood / GA / 39.7 mi.

404

14.1

$27,303

61.3

0.2

60.3

0.1

30803 / Avera / GA / 35.1 mi.

273

19.4

$30,956

24.3

0.5

23.6

0.0

0.2

30426 / Girard / GA / 27.9 mi.

471

11.0

$27,903

57.5

1.4

55.4

0.0

0.2

30818 / Wrens / GA / 23.8 mi.

178

24.2

$32,260

12.3

1.8

9.7

0.2

0.0

29845 / Plum Branch / SC / 26.5 mi.

478

8.8

$21,838

66.2

1.2

64.5

0.2

30471 / Twin City / GA / 53.9 mi.

1,514

2.4

$25,382

38.8

1.9

36.4

0.1

0.0

30822 / Perkins / GA / 42.6 mi.

222

15.8

$20,833

17.8

0.4

15.9

0.7

0.4

31089 / Tennille / GA / 57.1 mi.

1,719

2.0

$28,897

57.8

0.9

56.0

0.2

0.1

30425 / Garfield / GA / 56.5 mi.

534

5.1

$28,295

30.9

2.4

28.1

0.0

0.2

29836 / Martin / SC / 33.9 mi.

262

9.9

$35,509

72.8

1.1

70.5

0.5

0.0

31049 / Kite / GA / 57.4 mi.

568

4.6

$19,432

3.6

0.9

2.4

0.1

0.0

29844 / Parksville / SC / 24.2 mi.

24.0

$37,500

28.6

0.0

25.1

0.0

0.4

29856 / Windsor / SC / 23.6 mi.

902

2.4

$31,366

24.1

7.2

14.6

0.9

0.2

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