Obama's Press Office Needs Diversity

A lot of media outlets made a big deal out of the mostly white White House press corps covering the first black president, and those stories were worth pursuing.

All of us in the business know full well that those are considered plum jobs and are steppingstones to greater things.

But while we hold the media accountable for the need to diversify their ranks, it's quite telling to see the lack of diversity in the White House's press office.

I got an e-mail Tuesday listing all of the various press folks and contact information, and hardly any African-Americans or Hispanics were listed. Granted, the deputy press secretary is African-American, and the director of broadcast media is Hispanic. But that's not sufficient.

Unfortunately, this shouldn't come as a shock because the campaign press staff of then-Sen. Barack Obama was just as weak on diversity.

Just because there is a black president doesn't mean that diversity should be cast aside. President Obama should be held to the same standard when it comes to this issue as any other occupier of that office. I am a former national board member of the National Association of Black Journalists, and my support for diversity never wavers, no matter who is running the show.

One of the reasons this is important is — just like in the media, where there are bigger and better things awaiting White House correspondents — a position in the White House press office positions someone for the next level.

When the press secretary leaves, the president normally chooses the next one from those ranks. We never have seen a black or Hispanic press secretary standing at the podium giving daily briefings, and when there is none on the bench, well, that streak will continue.

Looking at the roster of other offices, I don't believe there's even one African-American or Hispanic who is the primary spokesperson or No. 2 at any of the major departments, such as Treasury, State and Justice.

These coveted positions often lead to the top jobs in communications firms in Washington and across the country, and even junior staffers now are tapped for senior jobs in the next administration. (Look at how many junior staffers on former President Bill Clinton's team are now senior staffers for President Obama.)

Various reports have stated that Obama was bothered by the lack of diversity among his campaign team, yet he wasn't moved to do anything about it.

The election of President Obama means that one barrier, albeit a major one, has been torn down. But that doesn't mean that others don't need to come tumbling down, as well. For those groups that have been marginalized often, it's important to have the doors of opportunity opened.

If diversity truly matters, then it must be emphasized and realized from the top down. The company leaders in corporate diversity got there because certain CEOs made it clear that it mattered, and they demanded that their underlings made it reality.

Al Neuharth is a prime example. Were it not for his fierce leadership on diversity, Gannett never would have outpaced the media industry when it came to minorities and women being publishers, general managers and executives among the company's media properties. He set the gold standard for advocating diversity in media.

If change is truly what this president wants to bring to bear, let's see change across the board. He should make it clear that the clubby atmosphere in Washington of hire-who-you-know has gone out the window, and that window has been opened up for the next generation of talented individuals. The power positions matter a lot in the nation's capital, and when you have a seat at the table, that's what counts.

I'm used to getting e-mails from folks who say it's wrong for me to look at this through a racial lens and that we now live in a post-racial world. But trust me; if I got an e-mail listing all men, I would be the first to ask, "Where are the women?" If I've pushed the need for diversity at every mainstream media operation I've worked at, why would I be silent about it in the Obama administration?

I've been told that not all hiring has been completed in the White House press office and in other areas. OK, fine. But the A-team clearly has been hired, and that means anyone else coming in the door is on the B-team. And that just won't cut it.

Diversity has tremendous value in this country, and you don't get there by lauding it. You get there by doing it. And that challenge should be met by all CEOs, whether they are black or white, in the Fortune 500, or the president of the United States.

Roland S. Martin is an award-winning CNN contributor and the author of "Listening to the Spirit Within: 50 Perspectives on Faith." Please visit his Web site at www.RolandSMartin.com. To find out more about Roland S. Martin and read his past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

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