Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News
     
Oct. 4--Most gay and lesbian broadcast journalists say their
newsrooms are comfortable places to work, but many are highly
critical of coverage of gay issues, a survey released Friday
shows.
     
Seventy-two percent of newsroom managers praised their coverage
of violence against gays, while only 35 percent of the gay
journalists agreed. The survey was released by the National
Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association and the Radio-Television
News Directors Foundation.
     
The gay and lesbian journalists were also critical of how
television covered the gays-in-the-military issue and the recent
march on Washington for gay civil rights. Many of the journalists
said their news managers rarely consult them about coverage of
gay and lesbian issues.
     
"The survey is an important part of the work we are doing in the
area of newsroom diversity," said Eric Swanson, executive
director of the news directors' foundation. "Diverse newsrooms
not only better reflect the communities they serve, but should
add considerably to the depth and quality of the coverage they
provide."
     
Two-thirds of the 179 gay and lesbian journalists who responded
say they are "out" in the workplace. The journalists and the
managers agreed that sexual orientation does not generally affect
career advancement, but 9 percent of the 228 news managers who
responded said whether an on-air employee was gay might make a
difference in hiring.