In an initiative spearheaded by AAN’s Diversity Committee, a survey has been distributed to AAN publishers in an effort to determine the demographic makeup of alt-weekly newsrooms.

The need for a member survey was apparent during the “Why Our Your Readers So White?” session at the Annual Convention in New Orleans, where a panelist asked if AAN had any demographic data for its members, and was told that the organization had none.

In response, Tucson Weekly editor Jimmy Boegle and East Bay Express co-editor Kathleen Richards have created a survey to get a clearer picture of where AAN stands in terms of diversity. The deadline for publishers to respond to the survey is Wed., October 26.

“Like other media organizations, AAN members are interested in keeping diverse, well-rounded newsrooms,” said AAN Executive Director Tiffany Shackelford. “In the past we haven’t collected this vital demo information. But in order to make a difference we need the facts.”