Reporting Diversity: A Checklist 3

The Seattle Times
Diversity Checklist
(Updated March 1994)

FOR BEAT REPORTERS:
• As I examine and explore my coverage area, how do I assess its importance in the lives of people in various groups through our area?
• Do I attempt to find out how the actions of the agency or organization I cover affect people in diverse populations in our community?
• Do I communicate with my editor about ways to broaden our focus, so that The Times looks at this beat with an eye toward the variety of stories it could produce?
• Do I seek stories that originate with the members of the community affected by this agency or organization, rather than from the players within the organization?
• How do I expand my own lists of contacts and sources?

ON GENERAL ASSIGNMENT:
• How do I seek story ideas? In what ways can I expand the types of people, places and organizations from which I draw story ideas and angles?
• Where do my assignments come form? How connected are we to various demographic groups in our area? How receptive are we to story suggestions?
• How well do I make use of diverse sources? How do I attempt to expand the paper's ability to tap those sources"
• How do I expand my own lists of contacts and sources?

FOR EDITORS:
• Am I making diversity a clear priority in the assignment and scheduling of stories?
• Am I giving reporters the time to pursue diverse sources and stories?
• Do I get out of the office in an effort to develop my own sources and contact in diverse communities?
• Am I challenging my own and other's notions of what constitutes news, in the effort to avoid ethnocentrism?
• Do I seek input from variety of people within the newsroom evaluating stories and story ideas?

ON A STORY:
• Have I discussed with my editor the possibilities for achieving a sense of diversity in this story?
• Have I sought diverse sources for this story?
• Have I allowed preconceived ideas to limit my efforts to include diversity?
• Am I employing "tokenism", allowing one person to represent a community, or am I seeking true diversity?
• Am I furthering stereotypes - or battling stereotypes - as I seek diversity?
• Am I telling the truth as I see it?
• Am I serving the reader first and foremost?
• What are the likely consequences of publication? Who will be hurt and who will be helped?
• Will I be able to clearly and honestly explain - not rationalize - my decision to anyone who challenges it?
• Do I communicate with my editor abut ways to broaden our focus, so that The Times looks like this beat with an eye toward its importance in the lives of groups/populations our area?