NewsBeat

September 2022 NewsBeat 11 or active verbs could help coverage be more representative and inclusive of community members and community life. 2. Headlines that center people over things or institutions We observed that in headlines, where space is often short, the language often prioritized things or institutions over people or voices. Intentionally starting a story from a place of personhood, or where a person is telling their story rather than having their story told, especially when a headline isn't about a crime, could help stories be more representative. 3. Amplifying community voices in the story In many articles, residents were often present, but not necessarily active in the story. We made note that equally balancing the voices of academics, officials or other public figures with voices or reactions from residents or community groups, could help. Specifically, choosing to quote rather than paraphrase community members has the potential to improve representation, as well as linking to primary sources when they're available. 4. Context is more impactful than sen- timent The perspective of the group was that the sentiment of an article (e.g. 'positive' or 'negative') mattered far less than the presence of context for what was happen- ing in the community. Including not what just happened, but the interconnectedness of prior events that led up to that moment, felt like a way to ensure that a story was thoughtful and representative, and avoid- ed parachute journalism, regardless of the sentiment the piece seemed to convey about the community and its residents. 5. Follow-up stories The pace of news events happening in an area as large as the Philadelphia region is unforgiving. However, if newsrooms are interested in creating coverage that is more representative of life in communities, it's essential to circle back and write follow-up stories that paint a more accurate picture of whether or not something was success- ful or was a failure within a community. Many times an event in a community can be covered as a singular occurrence even though it is often part of a wider ongoing story that only residents or people with deep context have connected the dots. Follow-up stories also allow reporters to dig deeper on systemic issues that manifest themselves as singular events. What sprang from many of these conver- sations were not just challenges and im- pediments to creating more representative and inclusive journalism, but also many ideas for approaches, products or services that could be implemented to help build a bridge to better community-based coverage. Here are a few worth highlighting. Full statements in addition to quotes. A story product with the ability to provide easy and contextual access to full state- ments, rather than quotes, from community groups or residents. Sharing capacity. Much like how NKC- DC thinks about ways they can share their capacity with residents, communities, and other community groups, a more equitable and inclusive newsroom would also seek ways to also help residents and community groups build capacity one way or another, whether it be through shared technology or research, training collaborations, other tactics. Pay attention to silence. We talked about how things being written about on a community level are often fraught and frequently intertwined with political sensi- tivities or staunch differences of opinions between people and groups who still, at the end of the day, rely on one another to succeed within a community. These condi- tions can result in less people speaking out for themselves or on behalf of a community because it feels risky to be quoted. An equi- table organization might spend time tuning into those silent spaces and build relation- ships that lead to better coverage. Information that adapts to someone's needs. We acknowledged that one way to be an anti-racist organization and disman- tle white supremacy in coverage is to move away from the written word as the primary communication vehicle, and put stories in other forms that could be more common, recognizable or accessible in other commu- nities, including information via recordings or conversation, through music or video. It's not just a matter of presence of these forms, but prioritizing them. Automated notifications for community stories to community groups. We talked about how vital it is for community groups to be able to respond to, or react to news coverage in real time, while a conversation is still fresh with stakeholders and has momentum. This is distinct from send- ing story notifications to residents which, depending on the topic or content, could cause harm or deepen trauma. This article originally was published by the Lenfest Local Lab.

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