Latest E&P "Exclusive" on Diversity

The Exchange. A unique collaboration to support diverse media

Collaboration among news media outlets is not new, but The Exchange is a new collaborative effort that aims to create business and financial content for underserved communities. It’s a collaboration of local, diverse news media with decades of service to their communities, the Local Media Association (LMA), the Local Media Consortium (LMC) and Deloitte.

"E&P REPORTS" VODCASTS on DIVERSITY

One-on-one with Cheryl Smith, Publisher/ Editor of I Messenger Media & 2022 NABJ Hall of Fame inductee

In this 154th episode of "E&P Reports," we go one-on-one with Cheryl Smith, Publisher/ Editor of I Messenger Media News Group & 2022 inductee in the National Association of Black Journalists’ (NABJ) Hall of Fame, where we discuss her career not only as a successful news publishing executive, but also her views on the industry as a whole, where it is heading, and how we can achieve more diversity, equity and inclusion to better represent the communities we serve.

LBGTQ+ media exec DJ Doran talks niche publishing & his run for mayor of Chicago

In this 151st episode of “E&P Reports,” host Mike Blinder goes one-on-one with LGBTQ+ media publisher DJ Doran on how he kept his major market media enterprises thriving during a global pandemic, his news publishing plans for the future and his recent announcement to run as an openly gay candidate for Mayor of Chicago.

Chicago Sun-Times' new Executive Editor talks about newsroom dilemmas covering a mass shooting

Jennifer Kho loves that Chicago is a “two-newspaper town.” She’s the new executive editor at one of those two newspapers, the Chicago Sun-Times. Kho hadn’t even fully moved from Los Angeles to Chicago when her newsroom faced the monumental and solemn challenge of reporting on the July 4th mass shooting in Highland Park. That day, a single shooter, with the aid of high-capacity weapons murdered seven people and injured dozens, terrorizing and traumatizing the community.

The gender beat. How reporting has evolved and what is still missing

The “gender beat” concept developed less than a decade ago, but it has already evolved significantly since then. While many of the journalists interviewed by Meg Heckman, a journalist, author and educator with Northeastern University, thought the concept of a gender beat should not be necessary, she believes it is a necessary stepping stone in the short term.

Disabilities in media: Overcoming obstacles and achieving success

Dave Stevens is the only legless player in sports history to have played NCAA football and minor league baseball. The seven-time Emmy-winning sports journalist is now a motivational speaker and television host as he nears 40 years in broadcasting. While he says the media industry has come a long way in terms of inclusivity, he adds: "we still have a long way to go in this and other aspects of society."

Pittsburgh newsrooms collaborate to improve DEIB

Distrust between Pittsburgh's diverse communities and the media is a significant problem identified in an American Press Institute pilot program, which implemented an Inclusion Index developed by Letrell Deshan Crittenden, Ph.D. A Jan. 24 event at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center in Pittsburgh drew media and community members who spoke about improving coverage.

Why are we stalling when it comes to DEI?

Countless studies demonstrate that DEI has the potential to increase sales revenue, increase customer base and ultimately increase profits. DEI is not only the right thing to do; it’s good business sense. So, why are we hitting a pause with progress?

Newmark J-school launches Asian Media Initiative

The Center for Community Media at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism is taking a major step forward in promoting diversity in the media industry with the launch of the Asian Media Initiative. The program, aimed at increasing the representation of Asian Americans in media and journalism, will provide opportunities for students, journalists and aspiring media professionals to gain the skills and resources necessary to succeed in the competitive field of journalism.

Things I've learned about equity and diversity in local media, from a MAWG (aka, middle-aged white guy)

How can white people, which the publisher of this very publication will tell you dominate the traditional media industry channels and gatherings, do more than unwind generations of racism and exploitative coverage — instead, actively contribute to restoring justice and equity? John Heaston says he doesn’t have the answers, but hopes the points in today's column can help.

AL DÍA going national with its focus on Latino Americans

Martin Alfaro’s promotion to general manager at AL DÍA marked the start of his new year. “I found a unique space and a huge opportunity,” Alfaro says of his new role. That unique space is the audience AL DÍA captures, and that opportunity he mentioned is creating content that some publications lack.

Journalists are routinely vilified on social media and the beat, with women enduring the brunt of the abuse

There were 25 organized troll campaigns targeting women reporters in the first half of 2020, according to Ms. Magazine. Additionally, the magazine cited 267 attacks and threats, with many mentioning women’s appearance and sexuality, including death and rape warnings. Here are three steps supervisors should be taking to better protect women journalists.

Nonprofit collaborations provide the resources for deep work

Nonprofit news collaborations deepen investigative work, amplify quality journalism and connect for-profit news organizations to new funding streams. Lisa Yanick Litwiller, director of audience at the Center for Public Integrity, said collaborations give journalists the resources for the deep work that drew many journalists to the industry in the first place.

MORE E&P "Exclusives" on Diversity

Managing your management stress is essential to achieving DEI

Are you afraid of the perception of others or have some irrational fear of ineptness? Perhaps you’re intimidated or worried that you won’t be able to relate to or have honest conversations with someone who doesn’t look, sound or think as you do. If so, please know that it's simply an illusion. Competency, ambition, hard work, instinct and ability aren’t tethered to gender, ethnicity, age or cultural background.

Diversity isn’t a quota system; it’s a value system

Since The Diversity Pledge Institute launched in 2021, it has placed dozens of journalists in newsrooms across the globe — and none of them have quit their jobs yet. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, it can cost a company up to nine months of an employee's salary to replace an employee who quits. However, the business case for diversity extends beyond the costs of recruiting and training.

Reporting on the LGBTQ+ community

Members of the LGBTQ+ community want reporting to reflect reality; the community is diverse, vast and full of positivity. Hanging on to stereotypes can have detrimental implications because the problems faced by those who do not fit that mold are often overlooked.

The Kansas City Defender, reaching young Black communities currently underserved by mainstream media

Ryan Sorrell and his team at The Kansas City Defender rely on two methods to reach young people. First, they know that each social media platform has a different ethos, so they personalize content for each brand. Second, they have a broad content mix, blending hard news and culture stories with headlines such as “10 Best Black-Owned Restaurants.”

True diversity means accountability

Promises made in 2020 created headwinds, but not nearly enough of the transformative change we need to see on TV screens, in newspapers, on airwaves and in the rooms where decision-making happens. The bottom line is this: The coverage you provide and the communities you prioritize reflect how you truly embrace diversity.