Comparing the racial diversity of the journalists
at America's daily newspapers
with the communities that they serve
Newsroom diversity report for
The Oakland Press, Pontiac
Pontiac, Michigan
Owner: Journal Register (N.J.)
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 8.1
2004 Did not report
2003 Did not report
2002 Did not report
2001 8.1
2000 8.2
1999 9.3
1998 0.0
1997 18.8
1996 Did not report
1995 Did not report
1994 15.3
1993 16.7
1992 12.9
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 The Oakland Press, Pontiac
Year Non-white % of newsroom staff Non-white % of circulation area Newsroom Diversity Index (parity=100)
2005 8.1 15.6 52
2004 N/A 15.1 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, Journal Register (N.J.),
has a companywide, circulation-weighted Diversity Index of 24.
See the notes and definitions section below for the sources of these figures.
Peer group comparison
for The Oakland Press, Pontiac
This newspaper's Newsroom Diversity Index is 52. 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 41 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 Florida Today, Melbourne, Florida, with a 19.1 percent non-white staff in a community that is 16.3 percent non-white. Its index is 117.
FYI, in circulation, this newspaper's average weekday circulation of
approximately 66,140 ranks 153 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 Oakland Press, Pontiac
Circulation area
Race/ethnicity % of population Number of residents
Hispanic 3.5 20,198
Black 7.4 42,739
Asian and Pacific Islander 2.6 14,991
Native-American 0.3 1,580
Other non-white 0.1 534
Multi-racial 1.3 7,520
  Non-white 15.1 87,562
White 84.9 490,627
Total 578,189
Home county:  Oakland
Race/ethnicity % of population Number of residents
Hispanic 2.4 28,999
Black 10.0 119,708
Asian and Pacific Islander 4.1 49,470
Native-American 0.2 2,854
Other non-white 0.1 1,681
Multi-racial 1.7 19,692
  Non-white 18.6 222,404
White 81.4 971,752
Total 1,194,156
The home county of this newspaper is Oakland.
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 Oakland Press, Pontiac
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
48329 / Waterford Township / MI / 6 mi. 4,598 9,959 46.2 $64,277 7.3 2.8 1.8 0.3 1.1
48328 / Waterford Township / MI / 3.8 mi. 3,602 10,805 33.3 $47,917 13.1 5.1 5.1 0.3 1.2
48346 / Independence Township / MI / 8.4 mi. 3,249 8,843 36.7 $67,428 6.8 2.9 1.1 0.3 1.3
48341 / Pontiac / MI / 1.6 mi. 3,141 7,208 43.6 $32,031 70.9 7.5 59.5 0.4 1.1
48327 / Waterford Township / MI / 6.4 mi. 2,889 8,784 32.9 $52,000 9.3 3.9 1.9 0.3 1.6
48340 / Pontiac / MI / 1.9 mi. 2,881 9,676 29.8 $31,342 49.2 16.5 26.8 0.5 2.6
48342 / Pontiac / MI / 0 mi. 2,774 7,263 38.2 $29,017 79.2 13.2 59.9 0.4 3.2
48307 / Rochester Hills / MI / 7.2 mi. 2,713 15,767 17.2 $62,484 13.6 2.4 2.5 0.2 6.9
48371 / Oxford / MI / 12.5 mi. 2,559 6,658 38.4 $65,277 4.5 2.1 0.7 0.2 0.5
48348 / Independence Township / MI / 9.9 mi. 2,494 6,694 37.3 $83,476 4.6 1.8 0.8 0.2 0.9
48309 / Rochester Hills / MI / 4.9 mi. 2,471 10,288 24.0 $81,444 13.3 2.4 3.8 0.2 5.9
48326 / Lake Angelus / MI / 3.1 mi. 2,308 7,781 29.7 $51,089 26.1 4.7 12.1 0.3 6.6
48386 / White Lake / MI / 9.3 mi. 1,942 5,874 33.1 $62,495 4.8 1.7 0.9 0.4 0.7
48306 / Rochester Hills / MI / 7.9 mi. 1,924 7,825 24.6 $106,828 8.9 1.3 1.9 0.1 4.7
48362 / Orion Township / MI / 8.9 mi. 1,757 5,149 34.1 $70,123 4.6 2.0 0.6 0.3 0.8
48462 / Ortonville / MI / 14.5 mi. 1,596 4,388 36.4 $74,932 3.3 1.3 0.3 0.3 0.5
48442 / Holly / MI / 18.4 mi. 1,377 6,933 19.9 $53,438 6.0 2.5 1.6 0.3 0.4
48390 / Wolverine Lake / MI / 11.4 mi. 1,357 7,929 17.1 $60,500 5.3 1.4 0.7 0.2 2.0
48382 / Commerce Township / MI / 10.6 mi. 1,336 6,541 20.4 $78,982 3.7 1.2 0.5 0.2 0.9
48360 / Orion Township / MI / 6.7 mi. 1,188 4,006 29.7 $81,345 6.1 2.1 1.4 0.2 1.5
48383 / White Lake / MI / 12.7 mi. 1,171 4,211 27.8 $72,846 4.4 1.8 0.6 0.4 0.5
48359 / Orion Township / MI / 5 mi. 1,016 2,893 35.1 $60,114 9.3 4.4 2.0 0.3 1.3
48324 / West Bloomfield / MI / 6.4 mi. 965 6,424 15.0 $89,021 10.3 1.5 3.4 0.2 3.9
48381 / Milford Township / MI / 15.8 mi. 926 4,447 20.8 $64,009 3.5 1.2 0.4 0.3 0.5
48356 / Highland Township / MI / 14.5 mi. 922 3,162 29.2 $66,141 3.2 1.3 0.3 0.3 0.5
48073 / Royal Oak / MI / 9.6 mi. 885 16,625 5.3 $52,384 6.6 1.2 1.8 0.2 2.0
48098 / Troy / MI / 5.4 mi. 843 14,884 5.7 $98,134 17.6 1.2 1.9 0.1 12.8
48350 / Springfield Township / MI / 13.6 mi. 839 2,451 34.2 $66,940 4.9 2.2 1.0 0.3 0.4
48304 / Bloomfield Township / MI / 4.1 mi. 827 6,662 12.4 $102,767 14.0 1.5 3.7 0.1 7.5
48357 / Highland Township / MI / 17.1 mi. 767 3,233 23.7 $56,062 3.8 1.3 0.3 0.5 0.3
48071 / Madison Heights / MI / 12.1 mi. 766 13,299 5.8 $42,326 11.5 1.6 1.8 0.4 5.0
48302 / Bloomfield Township / MI / 4 mi. 724 6,362 11.4 $112,099 17.3 1.3 6.0 0.0 8.5
48393 / Wixom / MI / 15.1 mi. 695 6,998 9.9 $45,977 9.9 2.9 2.2 0.4 2.5
48083 / Troy / MI / 9.1 mi. 668 8,969 7.4 $60,943 19.8 1.8 2.1 0.2 13.4
48323 / West Bloomfield / MI / 6.5 mi. 549 6,232 8.8 $105,091 14.6 1.3 4.3 0.1 6.9
48320 / Sylvan Lake / MI / 4.1 mi. 512 2,004 25.5 $55,410 7.6 3.2 0.9 0.8 0.8
48009 / Birmingham / MI / 7 mi. 453 9,113 5.0 $80,555 4.7 1.2 0.9 0.1 1.5
48084 / Troy / MI / 7.4 mi. 447 6,165 7.3 $67,964 20.6 1.8 2.5 0.1 14.4
48446 / Lapeer / MI / 26.6 mi. 441 11,014 4.0 $49,214 6.2 2.3 1.9 0.4 0.4
48363 / Oakland Township / MI / 9.3 mi. 439 1,520 28.9 $76,491 3.8 0.9 0.9 0.1 0.8
48336 / Farmington Hills / MI / 12.3 mi. 408 11,169 3.7 $55,837 14.4 1.4 7.1 0.3 3.7
48072 / Berkley / MI / 10.2 mi. 400 6,678 6.0 $57,620 4.8 1.3 0.7 0.2 1.0
48322 / West Bloomfield / MI / 8.3 mi. 399 11,217 3.6 $87,740 21.0 1.4 6.5 0.1 9.9
48310 / Sterling Heights / MI / 11 mi. 396 14,653 2.7 $61,047 14.4 1.2 1.2 0.2 7.6
48067 / Royal Oak / MI / 11.7 mi. 370 12,185 3.0 $52,122 5.4 1.5 1.1 0.3 1.1
48301 / Bloomfield Village / MI / 6.5 mi. 363 5,644 6.4 $110,431 8.4 1.3 2.1 0.1 4.0
48237 / Oak Park / MI / 12.3 mi. 332 12,598 2.6 $45,018 53.6 1.3 45.6 0.2 2.2
48367 / Leonard / MI / 14.4 mi. 326 1,653 19.7 $66,224 3.9 2.3 0.2 0.2 0.3
48034 / Southfield / MI / 11.1 mi. 322 15,478 2.1 $47,914 61.7 1.4 52.3 0.2 4.2
48375 / Novi Township / MI / 14.7 mi. 320 8,127 3.9 $75,545 16.1 1.9 2.1 0.1 10.6
48017 / Clawson / MI / 9.1 mi. 297 5,661 5.2 $50,822 4.7 1.1 0.8 0.3 1.3
48380 / Milford Township / MI / 18.3 mi. 264 1,936 13.6 $84,745 3.2 1.3 0.3 0.1 0.3
48076 / Southfield / MI / 9.7 mi. 254 10,741 2.4 $62,404 49.0 1.1 42.0 0.1 2.7
48455 / Metamora / MI / 19.3 mi. 249 3,011 8.3 $64,806 2.9 1.3 0.1 0.3 0.4
48377 / Novi / MI / 12.9 mi. 242 5,305 4.6 $49,432 12.7 1.9 2.6 0.3 5.8
48025 / Southfield Township / MI / 7.8 mi. 235 5,606 4.2 $97,437 8.9 1.2 3.8 0.1 2.3
48220 / Royal Oak Township / MI / 13.6 mi. 233 11,010 2.1 $43,698 19.7 1.7 13.7 0.5 1.2
48075 / Southfield / MI / 12 mi. 214 9,391 2.3 $52,557 75.6 1.0 70.4 0.2 1.6
48768 / Vassar / MI / 48.8 mi. 182 3,610 5.0 $41,910 7.0 2.5 2.8 0.4 0.5
48438 / Goodrich / MI / 20.5 mi. 179 2,032 8.8 $72,983 3.1 1.1 0.3 0.4 0.4
48030 / Hazel Park / MI / 14.6 mi. 174 7,244 2.4 $36,987 9.6 2.1 1.6 0.8 1.8
48334 / Farmington Hills / MI / 9.6 mi. 172 7,589 2.3 $63,927 17.5 1.5 7.2 0.1 6.3
48430 / Fenton / MI / 23.6 mi. 172 12,082 1.4 $60,463 3.9 1.4 0.3 0.4 0.7
48370 / Oxford / MI / 13.2 mi. 167 614 27.2 $81,184 3.1 0.5 0.5 0.4 0.4
48331 / Farmington Hills / MI / 10.6 mi. 154 8,428 1.8 $97,089 16.9 1.3 5.3 0.1 8.3
48317 / Utica / MI / 10.6 mi. 146 10,608 1.4 $51,373 9.0 2.5 1.3 0.3 3.1
48178 / South Lyon / MI / 22.3 mi. 138 8,857 1.6 $67,463 3.6 1.3 0.3 0.3 0.8
48316 / Utica / MI / 10.7 mi. 136 7,776 1.7 $76,718 4.3 1.2 0.5 0.3 1.3
48226 / Detroit / MI / 22.8 mi. 130 2,630 4.9 $29,770 79.3 2.5 73.5 0.2 1.4
48335 / Farmington Hills / MI / 13 mi. 126 10,489 1.2 $57,009 23.8 1.7 6.6 0.2 13.8
48439 / Grand Blanc / MI / 24.9 mi. 111 15,720 0.7 $60,980 11.8 1.8 5.7 0.3 2.6
48843 / Howell / MI / 30.6 mi. 111 15,605 0.7 $64,265 3.7 1.4 0.2 0.4 0.6
48091 / Warren / MI / 15.4 mi. 108 12,846 0.8 $38,890 12.8 1.6 4.4 0.5 3.4
48374 / Novi / MI / 16.1 mi. 104 3,552 2.9 $112,809 13.3 1.5 1.0 0.2 9.4
48353 / Hartland / MI / 20.5 mi. 96 2,140 4.5 $71,964 2.6 0.9 0.2 0.3 0.3
48428 / Dryden / MI / 19.8 mi. 94 1,639 5.7 $70,133 2.9 1.1 0.1 0.3 0.3
48823 / East Lansing / MI / 57.1 mi. 80 19,524 0.4 $33,153 19.6 3.0 6.0 0.3 8.1
48070 / Huntington Woods / MI / 11.7 mi. 79 2,382 3.3 $87,507 3.8 0.9 0.7 0.1 1.4
48165 / New Hudson / MI / 18.9 mi. 78 1,900 4.1 $66,875 4.0 1.8 0.3 0.3 0.4
48043 / Mount Clemens / MI / 19 mi. 68 7,277 0.9 $37,884 25.5 2.4 19.4 0.6 0.5
48092 / Warren / MI / 13.3 mi. 67 10,081 0.7 $51,435 11.1 1.2 2.6 0.2 4.6
48124 / Dearborn / MI / 22.5 mi. 46 14,201 0.3 $55,632 6.7 2.9 1.0 0.3 1.3
48094 / Washington Township / MI / 12.8 mi. 38 4,835 0.8 $70,125 4.2 2.3 0.3 0.3 0.6
48532 / Northwest / MI / 33.3 mi. 38 8,254 0.5 $40,348 26.6 2.2 18.3 0.6 3.2
48081 / Saint Clair Shores / MI / 20.2 mi. 36 9,308 0.4 $53,347 3.0 1.0 0.3 0.2 0.6
48069 / Pleasant Ridge / MI / 12.7 mi. 27 1,029 2.6 $81,108 4.5 1.8 0.8 0.3 1.0
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