The American Society of News Editors reported 13.3 percent of the total workforce in daily newsrooms are minorities. In the CMU Department of Journalism, 18 percent of students enrolled in the fall 2014 semester are non-caucasian.

"Even when journalists are trying to be neutral, they can't always see past their own experience," Mike Marn, fixed-term journalism faculty member said. "This is why it's so important to have a news staff that is more reflective of society, because then you're at least equalizing those experiences."

Marn teaches JRN 380, a race and cultural diversity course that explores how different groups of people are portrayed in the media. The textbook his students use shows subtle differences in coverage of crimes perpetrated by minorities, for example, black suspects are shown in their prison suits and handcuffs more frequently than white suspects.

Bryce Huffman, Detroit junior studying online journalism, said he doesn't find the data on minorities employment in the media surprising.

"I think good and bad things in America start with education," Huffman said. "In areas where there are a lot of black and brown kids, news and journalism are not really stressed. What is stressed to get out of that environment, not the opposite which is journalism because we go into those environments."

Many media organizations rely on cultural memories to convey messages, Huffman said.

"When (the media) covers African-American men that are shot by police, they seem to do whatever they can to make it seem like their death was justified," he said. "But every time a white man shoots up a school or movie theater, they make it seem like he is ill or sick."

This bias is not intentional. Journalist are not always aware they are stereotyping in their coverage, Marn said.

"We are, to some degree, imprisoned by our own stereotypes, and it may not be a conscience effort," Marn said. "But they are perhaps trapped in their own experiences, and that is a filter to which they see things."

Women are also under-represented in newsrooms. The Women's Media Center reports that overall women represent 36 percent of all newsroom staff and has not change since 1999.

Although women made up 58 percent of students in the Department of Journalism last year, a study conducted by the University of Colorado found women only hold 23 percent of all leadership positions in journalism and media.

Charice Craft, a Pontiac sophomore, said she feels that women are sexualized in the news.

"Even with women politicians, it's all about how they look, dress and act," Craft said. "It never seems to be about her accomplishments. I think it's degrading too when people call Senator Hillary Clinton Bill Clinton's wife. She's a senator but no one seems to acknowledge that."

Marn said trying to increasing diversity in the newsroom is not easy. Women eager to pursue a career in journalism may see their opportunities narrow and become discouraged.

There are media organizations trying to address increasing diversity in newsroom. For example, Buzzfeed partnered with the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism to create a year-long fellowship for journalists of color.

Marn said people hiring in media should make sure their stereotypes are not affecting their decisions.

"Everyone makes hiring decisions to what is good for their own enterprise and that part is logical," Marn said. "But it's going to take a lot of people making sure those decisions are not be affected by traditional stereotypes."