I have always considered sensitivity to be one of the most essential aspects of my reporting. As a person of color, it does not get much more important than this.
I remember for one newscast, ATVN interviewed a USC student who said she was a victim of a hate crime right near campus. I really wanted to make sure that our source felt comfortable sharing her story with viewers. I reached out to her a few days before the newscast and explained that we wanted to cover her experience but would completely understand if she did not want to discuss it.
On the day of the newscast, I thought about how different social media is from a newscast – far more people can see a social media post. I spoke to our source and asked her if she was comfortable with having her story shared on social. She really appreciated my asking and gave her consent. Consent to be interviewed is one thing – but it is important to get consent to post on social media, too.
Ultimately, she explained how she was comfortable sharing her story but did not wish to be a voice speaking on hate crimes against her community, because she did not feel equipped to do so.
It is important to remember that not all members of a community are willing to speak on behalf of their community. Especially with serious topics like hate crimes, asking someone to discuss that topic just because they are members of a community that is experiencing trauma is absolutely not okay. As reporters, it is essential to do the research and put in the effort to find sources who are willing to discuss sensitive topics.
Researching via social media is a great way to find people willing to talk about sensitive and important subjects. Many people who post on their social media accounts and discuss social movements pertaining to their communities are comfortable speaking on behalf of their community. It is still important to remember to be sensitive in asking anyone to discuss a difficult subject.
I think it is really important to understand that as a member of a news organization, you have a responsibility to be as sensitive as possible. When sending out emails about hyper-sensitive subjects, it is important to choose your words very carefully.
This past semester I know that some MJs (multimedia journalists) had issues when reaching out to sources about sensitive subjects. When it comes to approaching these topics, I think that MJs should get their emails approved before sending them out. Talking to their producers, executive producers, and faculty advisor is advisable, so they can get multiple perspectives on their emails and can make edits accordingly. That way, there is less room for error and insensitivity.
I think that newsrooms will always have to continue working on issues concerning diversity and sensitivity. But, I think that a really great start to more permanent change would be to have more diversity and inclusivity in newsrooms, so that members of different communities can speak on subjects pertaining to their experiences as more diverse stories enter the picture. This means staff, story selection, and coverage in the newsroom - incorporating diversity and inclusion into all aspects of the workplace and really making an effort to tell everyone’s story to ultimately enable change.