Amid layoffs and buyouts, industry insiders wonder whether diversity will become the “sacrificial lamb.”

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In a media advisory released earlier this month, the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) had an urgent message for the newspaper industry: Diversity should not be treated like a passing fad and it should continue to be a top priority.

The advocacy organization, where a majority of its 4,000 members are Black print journalists, warned that it would hold the industry accountable if managers did not consider diversity in both their recruiting and firing practices.

The warning comes at a time when newspaper companies are issuing a shocking number of layoffs and buyout packages, leaving many concerned journalists questioning whether diversity will become the “sacrificial lamb” as newsroom managers and recruiters focus on the economy’s impact on newsrooms.

The most jarring layoff announcement came when The McClatchy Co., the nation’s third largest newspaper company, announced in June that it would slash 1,400 jobs — 10 percent of its work force. The company made the decision in an effort to cut costs as its advertising revenues continue to decrease.

“There’s no doubt that diversity tends to take a backseat when newspapers are struggling to survive,” says Randy Hagihara, senior editor of recruitment at the Los Angeles Times. Owned by the Tribune Co., the nation’s second largest newspaper publisher, the Los Angeles Times recently announced that it would cut 250 positions throughout the company, including 150 editorial positions.

According to Hagihara, the paper has maintained a strong commitment to diversity in its newsroom, and that commitment hasn’t wavered, even amid turbulence in the industry.

Hagihara says that the Los Angeles Times decided in April to expand the company’s Minority Editorial Training Program, also known as METPRO. The Tribune Company hosts the highly competitive program, which is a two-year diversity initiative designed to help beginning journalists launch careers in Tribune newsrooms, including the Chicago Tribune and the Baltimore Sun.