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The Media Double Standard Surrounding White and Minority Founders Non-traditional founders are covered differently than white male entrepreneurs. Only by bringing this problematic behavior to light can things actually begin to change.

By Santiago Villegas

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

ROBYN BECK | Getty Images

In the world of startups, the media coverage tends to focus on founders who are white and often men. A lot of the time, this pushes the stories of nontraditional founders to the sidelines. When there is news involving a founder who is anything other than a white man, their stories are often pushed to the "women" or "diversity" section because they aren't treated like legitimate business stories.

The pandemic, the fight for racial equality and other world events highlight the need for representation in all aspects of business and the need for equitable coverage. When we look at founders who receive media, it's easy to see that white founders receive less scrutiny when they make mistakes, while founders of color are crucified for normal fumbles. The few founders of color who do receive coverage are propped-up and held to an untenable standard, and if they slip are mercilessly torn down.

Related: 5 Ways to Get Media Coverage as a Startup

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