Journalists from AP, CNN, ESPN, Futuro Media, The New York Times, Press On, and elsewhere offer their prescriptions for what newsrooms need to do.

September 2020
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** Journalists Can Help People Tell Their Own Stories by Talking Less, Listening More ([link removed])
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"Without varied points of view and the ability of diverse voices to help shape the narrative, we are in danger of not just missing the story but doing harm," Erika Dilday, chief executive officer and executive director at The Futuro Media Group, writes. Read the opinion piece here ([link removed])


** From the editor
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In 1972, William H. Dilday Jr. became the first Black general manager of a television station in the U.S. — WLBT-TV in Jackson, Mississippi. The Kerner Commission, formed in 1967 to identify the causes of widespread demonstrations in American cities, had delivered its report in 1968, concluding that racism was at the root of the civil unrest — and that media coverage of race was partly to blame. It made a number of recommendations, one of which was to advance Black people into journalism leadership roles.

One of the very few tangible actions taken in response to the Kerner Report was the transfer of WLBT’s ownership to a Black group, which hired Dilday.

During his time at WLBT, Dilday significantly increased the number of Black people and women on staff, in front of and behind the camera. In 1980, he refused to air an NBC miniseries because of its racist depictions of life on a plantation. His daughter, Erika, is now a journalist, too, at The Futuro Media Group. “As a Black station manager, [my father] knew the importance of the narrative,” she writes in Journalists Can Help People Tell Their Own Stories by Talking Less, Listening More ([link removed]) , one of the essays in our The Newsrooms We Need Now series ([link removed]) . “Without varied points of view and the ability of diverse voices to help shape the narrative, we are in danger of not just missing the story but doing harm.”

Other essays in our series take up the theme of diverse voices…
* Haute Hijab’s Dilshad D. Ali argues that allowing emotions in the newsroom ([link removed]) fosters deeper storytelling.
* CNN Digital’s S. Mitra Kalita says diversity, equity, and inclusion must become a way of life to become a way of work ([link removed]) .
* The New York Times’s Marc Lacey reminds journalists not to presume all audiences are white ([link removed]) .
* And The AP’s Ron Nixon calls for diversity on investigative teams ([link removed]) , too.

At a time when the Kerner Report is freshly relevant, these voices and many others are helping reshape the narrative of what journalism can and should be.

Sincerely,

James Geary
Editor, Nieman Reports
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** Want Diverse Newsrooms? Unions Push for Pay Equity As a Path Forward ([link removed])
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“If we can’t make bold changes now, it seems like we never will.”
Read more ([link removed])

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** Newsrooms Need a Plan to Diversify Investigative Teams, Too ([link removed])
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Having a variety of backgrounds on investigative teams is key to accountability journalism.
Read more ([link removed])

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** Journalists Need to Create a Sense of Belonging ([link removed])
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Progress on racial equity starts with a steadfast commitment to constant newsroom evolution.
Read more ([link removed])

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Our Fall 2020 issue is online ([link removed])
As Americans grapple with growing demands for racial justice, U.S. newsrooms are struggling with how to appropriately respond. Beyond diversifying staff, how should journalism meet the challenges of the moment and change news structures and cultures that uphold oppression? In a series of essays, thought leaders reflect and offer prescriptions for what the news industry needs to do now.


** More from Nieman Foundation publications:
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Rewriting the “hero’s journey” to fit a feminine narrative ([link removed])
From Anna Karenina to Kamala Harris, with women movie assassins in between, can we relearn how to tell women's stories as they more accurately reflect their lives?

Read more from Nieman Storyboard ([link removed]) .

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How Eviction Lab is helping journalists cover a spiraling housing crisis ([link removed])
As the pandemic has worsened an already critical situation, researchers started to live track evictions in 17 cities and launched a scorecard to compare protections for renters in each state.

Read more from Nieman Lab ([link removed]) .
Read more from Nieman Reports ([link removed])
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