NAB Show Launches New Diversity Symposium

The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) is launching a new NAB Show Diversity Symposium at the 2021 NAB Show.

The two-part program will cover strategies for developing and fostering corporate diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) in the media industry. The symposium will take place Sunday, October 10 from 11:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. at the Las Vegas Convention Center and is open to all NAB Show attendees

"The value of this new program cannot be overstated," said Michelle Duke, NAB’s chief diversity officer. "The last year has made it clear that businesses need to take a more active role in creating and developing more inclusive and diverse workplaces, and we are excited for the role NAB has to lead a culture of change."

The symposium will kick off with a Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) Roundtable, focused on how to develop diversity programs for media organizations. CDOs from The E.W. Scripps Company, iHeartMedia and TEGNA will join the conversation led by Duke.

Other sessions focused on developing a corporate DE&I strategy include:

Building Effective ERG's (Employee Resources Groups) and DE&I Committees
Supplier Diversity: Developing a Strategy that Benefits Your Organization and Your Community
The symposium will then pivot to cover fostering diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace and within the media industry at large. Two sessions will explore the impact of diverse leadership on the bottom line, and how intersectional identities can change reporting, news coverage and production.

Diverse leaders from across the industry will participate in the session titled 'More Than a Seat at the Table: The Impact of Inclusive Leadership and Sponsorship'. iHeartMedia's Senior Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion Yesenia Bello, KITV4 Island Television's President and General Manager Jason Hagiwara and COX Media Group’s Director of Sales Angelina Rosario will discuss leadership as individuals in groups that are underrepresented in media and the positive impact of creating an active culture of inclusion at their organizations.

The symposium will conclude with a panel discussion titled 'Representation Matters: Intersectionality On- and Off-Air'. Panelists Renee Summerour, Jenn Auh and Le’Andre Fox of the Las Vegas Review-Journal's 7@7 team will explore how having the most diverse anchor desk in the Las Vegas market has led to the success of the newspaper’s digital newscast and the importance of intersectional diversity on- and off-camera.

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