An Expansive View on DIversity
Traditionally, when referring to diversity issues, people often think in terms of people-of-color. But, the SPJ has a much more “expansive” view of diversity, according to our president, Christine Tatum.
Indeed, at a meeting of the National Committee on Diversity at the annual convention in Chicago in August, the preliminary discussion centered on issues related to people of color. It was quickly expanded to also include Gays and Lesbians. More recently, on SPJ.org it expanded more to include the disabled.
“We have to remember that diversity is one of the core missions of the society,” said president Tatum in an interview during a two-day visit to San Diego this month.
“People definitely have different ideas of what diversity is,” Tatum added.
“Diversity is not simply a discussion about different ethnicities. Unfortunately, as journalists we get a little too hung up on black/what/Hispanic/Asian. We get really hung up on color. We get really hung up on sexual orientation.
“We also need to be sensitive to newsrooms that reflect diversity of religion. I’m going to come right out and say it, it’s important for us as Americans to understand what’s going on in Islam and Buddhism and world religions. But, we also need to pay attention to the religious practices of people living in Colorado or southern Alabama or North Carolina.
“Diversity is a diverse political thought, theology, personal philosophy. Diversity encompasses so much more.
“A lot of this information doesn’t have much to do with your ethnicity. It has a heck of a lot to do with your personal (theology). Religion affects everything, (including) our philosophical views of money.
“These are the types of things that we need to examine when we talk about diversity as well, making sure that our newsrooms represent a greater diversity of thought from our communities,” President Tatum said in San Diego.
Tatum’s remarks may spark some lively debate on the national diversity committee.
Some believe that one of the reasons a diversity committee is needed, both nationally and at the local level, is because of discrimination in both staffing and coverage in newsrooms. Discrimination often occurs as a result of bigotry against people who are different: people of color, Gays and Lesbians and the disabled.
For example, a bisexual film editor was fired by a conservative San Diego TV station after including a clip of two men kissing in coverage of the city Gay Pride parade. Management ignored a request to discuss diversity in their newsroom by a representative of the SPJ and the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association.
While President Tatum is correct to also include religion (Muslims in particular), but does newsroom discrimination occur as a result of a journalist’s “personal philosophy,” as our president mentioned?
A lively debate on these issues could invigorate the diversity mission of our organization.
New Initiatives
The SPJ is making dramatic steps to reach out to the Spanish media nationwide, starting in the border city of San Diego.
“The SPJ executive committee on November 17 – 18 will consider a Sigma Delta Chi grant request from the National Committee of Diversity to enable FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) instruction for people working primarily in Spanish-speaking news organizations,” Tatum reported during her San Diego visit.
That SDX request will fund FOIA programs for Spanish media. The first is scheduled for San Diego in February when a FOIA expert will lecture to Spanish-speaking journalists, with an interpreter, in a program coordinated by the San Diego chapter.
Journalists from Spanish newspapers in San Diego like El Latino and El Diario will be joined by reporters from the Mexican state of Baja California, including the cities of Tijuana, Mexicali and Ensenada.
All FOIA materials will be translated into Spanish by the national committee for this event, which will be used as a model for similar programs nationwide.
Guiding Editors
President Tatum wants to give editors “more practical information” so that they can “incorporate (diversity) into their daily news gathering habits and practices.”
She stressed that there are “very usable tools that are posted on the SPJ.org website” under diversity. “I’m going to be looking to the national diversity committee to continue to drill home these important points by providing useful information on a regular basis on SPJ.org.
“In addition to that, what we need to do is build greater communication between the National Diversity Committee and all of our local chapters. Some don’t know how to incorporate diversity into their programs,” Tatum explained in her San Diego interview.
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By Leo E. Laurence, J.D.
San Diego News Service
Diversity Chair, San Diego Chapter
Member, Nat’l. Comm. On Diversity
619) 757-4909
leopowerhere@msn.com