COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY
The 2021-2022 school year brought forth many areas of victimization within local and national communities. Injustices were now pushed into the limelight. As an avid Arts & Entertainment writer, I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and recognized the lack of empathy and education in our school climate. Much of our community simply didn't know or understand. As a journalist, I took the initiative to start those uncomfortable conversations. I reached out to those individuals whose voices needed to be heard and brought to the forefront of our newspaper and community.
Gathering Insight
My first priority when it came to approaching diverse topics was to reach out to those who felt
voiceless and could represent the injustice they were feeling. It was so important to me to allow others to tell their story first, then I would provide the facts and statistics responsibly to back up their statements. I may not be able to understand fully what ostracized communities were going through, but as a journalist I made it a main goal to bring attention to systematic stereotypes that run deep beneath our own school walls and the nation as a whole. For my feature article, "‘People Need to Listen to Us’: The Anguish of Asian Stereotypes," I reached out to two main sources to gather insight for my topic and help me better understand and relay their experiences. Taking the initiative to reach out and cover topics concerning diversity is so important to me as a journalist because I know words can be powerful and catalysts for change.
I sent in my questions to a student in Canada who was willing to share her experiences. She sent me voice recordings, which I proceeded to transcribe into my article. I made sure to ask if she wanted to remain anonymous and respect her wishes before publishing my work.
To the left is a sample of another interview I had for my article with Gina Nguyen, 2020 Mississippi High School Journalist of the Year; she provided me with incredible insight on how to best hold individuals accountable and empower diverse communities.
READ COVERAGE
This article ended up winning Best of Sno, a distinction for SNO Sites student journalists; only 10 percent of works submitted are published
Responsible Research
After being at my high school for 4 years, I steadily began to notice
lack of diversity in curriculum. In my article, "‘Everyone’s Story Deserves to Be Told’: Seeking Solidarity for LGBTQ+ Southern Students," I decided to dive into the importance of representation and how lack of representation can negatively affect school climates. I made it a priority to find reliable resources only, gathering data from 2019 GLSEN school climate survey. When addressing diverse topics, accountability is of upmost importance. I made sure to find resources that would hold my opinion accountable and ultimately make an impact. When writing features or opinion articles, I always try to consider the voices that aren't being heard. That is my biggest motivation when covering this type of journalism.
I referenced percentages from Table 3.5 of GLSEN's 2019 school climate survey. These victimization and discrimination calculations really helped me address my opinion and provide resources to follow-up.
READ COVERAGE