For decades, media failed to consistently make race and equity central elements in coverage of criminal justice, education, the economy, government and entertainment. Amid the ongoing reckoning on systemic racism in the U.S. and around the world, this class offers students tools to begin repairing the harm caused by generations of mainstream coverage of underrepresented communities. This course will tackle the major hurdles and pain points to nuanced coverage of race, ethnicity and identity in the U.S., including how to develop strategies for storytelling with racial inclusivity baked in. In addition to a main reporting assignment, students will choose a beat and, from scratch, build their own manuals for reporting on race with vital historical context, sensitivity to stereotypes and anti-BIPOC bias—and an eye toward equity.
For decades, media failed to consistently make race and equity central elements in coverage of criminal justice, education, the economy, government and entertainment. Amid the ongoing reckoning on systemic racism in the U.S. and around the world, this class offers students tools to begin repairing the harm caused by generations of mainstream coverage of underrepresented communities. This course will tackle the major hurdles and pain points to nuanced coverage of race, ethnicity and identity in the U.S., including how to develop strategies for storytelling with racial inclusivity baked in. In addition to a main reporting assignment, students will choose a beat and, from scratch, build their own manuals for reporting on race with vital historical context, sensitivity to stereotypes and anti-BIPOC bias—and an eye toward equity.