Newsroom retention, like retention in all industries, is an increasingly challenging issue as labor pools and average tenures shrink in the face of expanding demand for journalistic skills. The retention issue is especially acute with minorities, who have historically been far less represented in U.S. newsrooms than they are in the population. Here are ten tips for retaining minority journalists.

1. Be honest. Don't ignore the fact that you're specifically targeting people of color. Be upfront about why you think diversity's important, and what it is you hope this new hire will bring to your organization.
2. Be a mentor, or assign one. A mentor doesn't have to be of the same ethnic background, but if the new hire is "the first" or "the only," then it's smarter to link him or her with someone of a similar heritage. Again, that person should commit to being available day or night. It could be someone on staff or elsewhere in the company. Having a kindred spirit can make all the difference in the world.
3. Check in regularly. "How're things going?" "Anything we need to talk about?" This shows you care, are actually thinking about the new hire's well-being. There will be problems, most of which you may never know about, but will affect mood and behavior. When you're one of only a handful in town, going to work each day can seem like running a gauntlet, but it's not something to share with coworkers, especially those who look like the people causing you the most grief. So what if you get the generic "everything's fine"? It's important to continue asking.
4. Be sure to include the new hire in staff outings, etc. It's easy to fall back into the regular lunch or after-work routines, excluding the newcomer. Keep extending invitations, even if turned down two or three times. This business is full of introverts. Don't mistake shyness, or nervousness, for stand-offishness. Better yet, find out what the new person is doing the next weekend, and invite yourself along.
5. Expand your recruiting network. How many include people who mirror those you seek to hire? Don't be shy or hesitant about cold-calling someone and asking for "a black female business reporter who's covered banking and personal finance." Sheepishness is so last-century. Build those contacts, incorporate them into your network of potential mentors for your new hires. And rely on them to help explain those elusive cultural nuances.
6. Be loud and clear about expectations. This, of course, is good for everyone, but common beliefs hold that managers have lowered the bar/expectations in order to get people of color. This is all about setting a tone of fairness and equality, and the more public the declaration, the better.
7. Cultivate team behavior, team-think. This is about building relationships, the whole "only as strong as the weakest link" thing. Feeling a part of a team creates a sense of responsibility, belonging, later loyalty.
8. Be smart about cultural differences. There are many that cause frequent disconnects, especially when it comes to social interaction. What you may think as getting to know someone can be viewed as obscenely nosy. Do some sociological research. It's fascinating stuff. The thing about why Native Americans have lengthy pauses before answering questions blew me away. Do remember that most are generalizations, but also know that you're likely to encounter some version of those norms.
9. Apply a steady dose of pressure. It's so tempting to treat the new hire as if he or she were made of glass. (Or plutonium, for that matter.) Challenge is also a form of trust and confidence.
10. Keep talking, talking, talking. This is an especially useful tactic for the new hire's direct supervisor. Silence is often misinterpreted, so just yak it up. Do enough quantity, and the quality will be in there, somewhere.