Newsroom diversity is a major issue in journalism today, Warner Saunders said Monday.

But diversity is about a lot more than color or gender, he said.

“A newsroom can be all white men and be diverse,” said Saunders, the 6 and 10 p.m. anchor for NBC’s Chicago affiliate WMAQ-TV 5. “A newsroom can have every hue and still not be diverse.”

Saunders addressed an audience of about 100 students, faculty and Evanston community members in Fisk Hall about issues facing local news stations.

He said diversity has more to do with perspective and belief systems than anything else.

“It is experience, it is homophobia, it is ageism,” Saunders said. “Your color and gender are not what you are about.”

In addition to his work as an anchor at Channel 5, Saunders teaches diversity seminars for NBC employees, which he said has been a learning experience. He said NBC was wise to voluntarily institute a diversity program.

“Diversity makes sense from a bottom-line point of view,” he said. “It is really because of self-preservation that we do this.”

He said understanding viewers leads to more pertinent coverage and therefore higher ratings. Saunders said teaching the course has changed his perspective as well.

“They say you teach what you need to learn,” he said. “Every time I face an audience, I learn something about me.”

Saunders also talked about competition among Chicago news stations, particularly focusing on Chicago CBS’ decision to go to a hard news style.

CBS’ hard news based format is anchored by Saunders’ former coworker at NBC, Carol Marin.

He said his station is taking a wait-and-see attitude toward the CBS format changes, which also include scrapping its 6 p.m. broadcast.

“If it succeeds, it will replicate,” he said. “If not, it will be disposed.”

Marin left WMAQ following the hiring of talk-show host Jerry Springer as a commentator. Saunders said he was neither surprised that she left nor that the station didn’t try to stop her.

“We have to change,” he said. “If we’re intransigent, if we can’t change, one of us has to go,” he said, meaning either management or anchors.

Saunders said although he would protest if Springer were ever brought back, he doubted he would quit over it.

Although the change in format is a tremendous opportunity for Marin, Saunders said he will continue to compete with her.

“I’m happy for her,” he said. “I still want to beat the hell out of her though.”

The times for Saunders to “beat the hell out of (Marin)” are the sweeps periods, when official ratings and advertisement costs are determined.

Saunders’ unique take on diversity was popular with some members of the audience.

“I was pleased with his stance on what he does with diversity,” said Ryan Daniels, a Medill freshman. “It was interesting to see a different perspective on the need for diversity in the workplace, that it’s not just having tokens.”