Covering Diverse Communities

1. Covering
Diverse
Communities

2. Unconscious Bias
Unconscious biases are the default associations that we make about people on the
basis of their individual attributes or circumstances.
These associations are mostly shaped by our previous experiences with people like
them or the messages we have received from all sorts of sources including news.
They shape our thinking and affect which stories we choose to tell, who we decide to
interview and even who we choose to work with.
Dynamics of Media Writing, Vincent F. Filak

3. Be Inclusive
Look at the demographics for your city/county.
Look at the information about where people tend to live and work in your area.
Travel on public transport and listen to what people are talking about.
Actively seek out different sources for news which broaden the range and possibly
take you to unfamiliar places.
Double check your own assumptions when speaking to possible interviewees on the
phone. Are you equating accent or manner with expertise?
Broaden your horizons into what stories would be of interest to a diverse audience.
Dynamics of Media Writing, Vincent F. Filak

4. Make It Accessible
The average person reads and comprehends writing between a sixth-grade and an
eighth-grade level.
Many experts advise aiming your writing at roughly a high school level.
However, don’t take this to mean you are supposed to “dumb down” the content or
information in your article or that people with less formal education will not be able
to grasp its complexities. In fact, the opposite is true.
The media professional’s writing challenge is to convey all the important
information in a manner the average reader can comprehend.
Dynamics of Media Writing, Vincent F. Filak

5. Write with Sensitivity
Audiences are diverse and are likely to interpret your writing in a variety of ways. As
much as possible, you must eliminate any chance of misinterpretation or offense.
The world is diverse, and so are your audiences in terms of their:
● gender
● race/ethnicity
● age
● education
● socioeconomic status
● geographic location
● sexual orientation
● physical abilities Dynamics of Media Writing, Vincent F. Filak

6. Language Sensitivity
Words are powerful and carry tremendous meaning. They can be used to inform,
uplift, and inspire your audience. They can also be used to hurt, demean, or offend.
One of the best ways to build language sensitivity is to get outside of your comfort
zone to places you would not normally visit and connecting with people you would
not normally talk to in the course of a day.
Where else can you go and with whom can you speak to gain a different perspective
and be more inclusive in your story?
Dynamics of Media Writing, Vincent F. Filak

7. Stereotypes
What sorts of images come to mind when you think of the terms “blue-collar
worker,” “welfare mom,” or “urban youth?”
Contrary to stereotypes, a blue-collar worker may be a laid-off accountant with a
business degree. That welfare mom might be a military veteran struggling to raise
her children as a single parent. The urban youth could be a concert pianist headed to
college on a music scholarship.
Again, the more we get to know people as individuals, the less stereotypes apply.
Always question the assumptions behind any label before you use it.
Dynamics of Media Writing, Vincent F. Filak

8. Titles
Until recently, terms such as “policeman,” mailman,” or “congressman” were
commonly used in news writing and across society. But today’s media professionals
must look for more accurate and gender-neutral terms to describe their story
subjects’ titles.
“Police officer,” “mail carrier,” and “representative” are not only more accurate; they
are more descriptive.
Dynamics of Media Writing, Vincent F. Filak

9. Pronouns
If you were a woman living in previous decades or centuries, you might think you
hardly existed based upon the many sexist pronouns in use.
Consider just one example, “All men are created equal,” from the US Declaration of
Independence.
Thankfully, such sexist language is not a legitimate part of today’s world.
Avoiding sexist pronouns such as “he” or “his” can still be tricky for the beginning
writer. Using the singular “they” is an inclusive option.
Dynamics of Media Writing, Vincent F. Filak

10. Race and Gender
Is it important to your story to refer to someone’s physical appearance, clothing,
race, or ethnicity?
At times, it may be—but not always. However, descriptions of race and ethnicity
become important because when they are central facts of the story.
To avoid demeaning sexist or racist descriptions, always ask yourself whether these
descriptions would be equally important if the story subject were white, a male, or
someone else. Would the reader need to know about this? If not, then drop the
description.
Dynamics of Media Writing, Vincent F. Filak

11. Disabilities and Illnesses
Disabilities and illness can become labels for people if you aren’t careful with your
writing. For example, to describe a child in your story as “mentally retarded”
demeans that individual and would clearly be inappropriate. The AP advises us to
instead use the terms “mentally disabled,” “intellectually disabled,” or
“developmentally disabled.”
The AP offers similar advice when you are tempted to use terms such as “cripple,”
“disabled,” “handicapped,” “blind,” “deaf,” and “mute” in a story. If someone uses a
wheelchair, explain the reason why to your readers. The AP advises journalists to
avoid describing an individual as disabled or handicapped unless that fact is clearly
pertinent to a story.
Dynamics of Media Writing, Vincent F. Filak

12. Immigrants & Refugees
Check you’re clear about definitions as these words become used interchangeably
when they’re not: refugees, asylum-seekers, immigrants.
Spend some time getting to know immigrants from a variety of backgrounds/-
countries of origin.
Interview some of them to broaden your (and your audience’s) knowledge, sharing
them with the rest of the newsroom.
Who speaks for immigrants when there’s a ‘bad news’ story? Who would you turn to
for a rebuttal? Develop links with groups who support immigrants, make contact
now.
Dynamics of Media Writing, Vincent F. Filak

13. Older People
What issues are of specific concern to older people?
○ Rate of return on their savings?
○ Health, fitness and ‘lifestyle’ stories?
Where can I find older people to talk to?
How do I make my story relevant to ‘them’?
Your audience may be old but your ideas must be new.
Dynamics of Media Writing, Vincent F. Filak

14. Younger People
Social media is an invaluable tool for learning what issues are engaging younger
people – and for contacting them.
Are there subjects which don’t work for a younger audience? The short answer is
‘no’.
The next time you are taking part in a newsday or you are asked to find a story or an
interviewee look deliberately for a story that will resonate with a younger audience
Or think how you can use younger faces and voices in a story which might not seem
directly relevant to them.
Dynamics of Media Writing, Vincent F. Filak

15. Poverty
Think about going to areas of the town/city which typically are lower income and
find stories which have a meaning there.
If you spend time getting local contacts you will undoubtedly get material which
reflects different opinions and voices, not to mention uncover concerns which
perhaps aren’t ones you’ve thought of.
Back in the newsroom, think about those concerns when weighing up stories for
inclusion on the bulletin and how they’re written up, to ensure they don’t only
reflect a more privileged lifestyle.
Dynamics of Media Writing, Vincent F. Filak

16. LGBTQ
Check that you understand the different terminologies.
Double check assumptions you make about your audience or interviewees when
writing copy/ thinking through questions. For example, writing ‘husband and wife’
in a piece about marriage or family if it’s not the topic of the story.
Most large cities have a gay quarter. Always do some of your vox pops there to
counter the sense that gay people are only ever asked to comment on ‘gay issues’.
Instead of saying “in the gay community”, use something like “amongst gay people”.
Media too often describe issues involving gay people as controversial, yet
controversy is in the eye of the beholder. Dynamics of Media Writing, Vincent F. Filak

17. Always Ask Yourself These Questions:
Have I treated people fairly and equitably in my writing?
How would I feel if this story, phrase, or term were written about me?
Have I avoided stereotypes?
Am I making assumptions about what’s important based on my background?
Have I avoided phrases or descriptions that could be demeaning?
Have I included everyone in my story who might have something important to say
about it?
Dynamics of Media Writing, Vincent F. Filak