Diversity in the newsroom
By Amanda R. Hiatt

    In recent years, the push to make newsrooms more diverse has taken center stage. But while bringing the numbers up is an important endeavor, it's only one of many ways to be more inclusive and sensitive. And, as discussed in the seminar, How to Make Diversity Work for You, bringing the numbers up is just the beginning.
    The Poynter Institute for Media Studies in St. Petersburg, Fla., has been at the forefront of the discussion on diversity. Aly Col\n, who is on the ethics faculty at Poynter, along with Karen Bailis and Lonnie Isabel of Newsday and Kurt Aguilar of the 
San Jose Mercury-News, led this discussion in which the panel pointed out language and assumptions to watch out for as well as tips on being more sensitive and inclusive.
    One thing that  the panel urged editors to keep in mind is to be skeptical and ask questions.
    "You are not at the mercy of the information that comes your way," Col\n said.
    If you aren't knowledgeable about a particular culture, race or sexual orientation, ask someone who is. As any copy editor 
knows, assumptions will put you on a path that leads only to trouble. Asking questions and educating yourself is the first step to presenting the news in a more fair and complete way.
    The panel also urged copy editors to watch out for loaded and meaningless terms that label people and can present an unfavorable image. Such terms as "inner city" or "gay lifestyle" are good examples.
    Illustrations can also reflect biases or inaccuracies. Bailis, who has served on the board of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association, pointed out that it seems to be standard practice of many news organizations to run photos of drag queens whenever a gay-pride parade or rally is held. Though such people are often present, she says, they hardly represent the 
larger group, which is made up of  anyone you may know: brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, doctor, lawyers, journalists, etc.
   Often, pointing out these problems can be a tough thing to do. Bailis says, "I'm concerned that people will

  see me as raising the lavender flag all the time."
    The key is, Col\n says, is to approach things not by indicting people, but presenting it as an opportunity to educate the newsroom and better serve the reader. And when raising these issues, it's also important to find support within your newsroom -- someone to help fight the battle and get things done.
    Above all, asking questions and more questions will help most. Aguilar said that having skeptical, precise and knowledgeable people on a copy desk can keep a publication from making serious, damaging errors.
In trying to make a newsroom more diverse and producing a publication that reflects that, there is bound to be some obstacles to overcome, but as Isabel says, it has to be done. "Inclusion is not an option, it's a reality."
    Aly Col\n has been at Poynter since 1997 and is currently working with Keith Woods of Poynter on an institute project, "Media Diversity Beyond 2000." Before coming to Poynter, he was a diversity reporter and coach at The Seattle Times. He has also worked for The Herald in Everett, Wash., and The Oakland Press in Pontiac, Mich.
    Karen Bailis is an assistant news editor at Newsday where she has been for five years. Before coming to Newsday, she worked as a copy editor at the Times-Herald Record in Middletown, N.Y., and as a reporter and an editor at the Daily Local 
News in West Chester, Pa.
    Lonnie Isabel is national editor of Newsday in New York. He has experience as a reporter on both coasts. He has worked at the Boston Herald, The Boston Globe and The Oakland Tribune in California.
    Kurt Aguilar has been metro copy desk chief at the San Jose Mercury-News since 1997. He had done an earlier stint at the Mercury-News during which he was a copy editor on the metro desk and an assigning editor in the Alameda County bureau. He has also lived and worked in Costa Rica, where he did consulting work for several English-language publications.

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Amanda R. Hiatt is a slot editor and copy editor at the Winston-Salem Journal. She can be reached at arhiatt@yahoo.com.