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INTRODUCTION

Diversity is a value within journalism that requires a careful rethinking of some of the values which had traditionally been used within the profession. In times past, the word of the government may have been sacrosanct. In times past, the word of the wealthiest members of the society was not to be questioned. In times past, certain religious leaders could say and do what they pleased without comment from the news media.

Meanwhile, whether in Central or Eastern Europe, Latin America or Africa, the Middle East or Asia, journalists have been grappling with ways to eliminate stereotypes and representations of ethnic, racial, and religious minorities that foster conflict and social division.

This manual is designed to assist in developing a sense of the value of diversity for journalists who are interested in providing an outlet for community understanding through their news media. The manual provides an opportunity for journalists to work through ways in which coverage is not diverse or is actually offensive to members of the community. And the manual provides a framework for discussion of issues of racial, ethnic or religious difference in the context of journalism. We hope the discussions that are envisioned through the training course will lead to more open discussion about those matters - historical and current - which have divided groups and maintained conflict and tension within our communities. We hope the discussions will help each participant in the training see that there are other ways to report the news without relying on old and sometimes false perceptions of diverse communities within our societies.

For journalists, the end prize for providing a more inclusive and less offensive news report will be that more people from more communities will begin to read, listen, or watch the news we produce. The more people who consume our work, the stronger the base of our news organization in the community and the closer we can come to developing the news media as a forum for community debate and community understanding.

Diversity is a value which in its simplest form suggests that journalists will strive to include all segments of society in coverage in ways that are balanced. Journalists will provide coverage that is free of language that reinforces histories of exclusion, strengthens negative stereotypes, or promotes hate speech.

• The news media have the opportunity to shape the discussion, define the areas of common ground through accurate, unbiased reporting.
  The result: All segments of our society will participate in easing real and perceived isolation that has been the historical reality for many groups defined by "race", ethnicity, religion, gender, physical abilities, sexual identity, or economic circumstance.
• Diversity and the voices of minority members of the community enrich and enliven the coverage of people in our communities.
• Despite our differences we are all members of the communities where we live and work.
• Our words have the power to encourage our communities to read our newspapers and magazines and listen and view our broadcasts and believe us.
• Readers and viewers connect with the media when they can see people who look like them reflected in the print and broadcast media.
• Diversity in news coverage allows all members of our community regardless of their racial, ethnic, religious affiliations, gender, age, and disabilities the opportunity for all to share in the responsibilities, rewards, and duties of citizenship.
• Where there is more than one group involved in the history of a nation or state, there is not one national or state history but rather many histories representing the perception and experience of each group.
• Journalists must be able to determine the facts of those histories and provide the most comprehensive historical perspective possible when covering issues of national, regional, or local importance.

Historical changes in the political and social fiber of nations create constant challenges for achieving the goal of diversity in media coverage. People are often willing to believe that which will promote their beliefs about other groups. Where government edict has determined what is historical fact for generations, a change in the government structure requires a new look at those complex historical perspectives that create the backdrop for today's news coverage.

The quest for news media that values diversity does not mean that the news media will end all stereotypes, hatred, or conflict within our communities. News media that value diversity will balance the past with the present; develop a place for debate with accurate, factual information that can begin to help members of the community realize that a community of inclusion is healthier and more productive than one where conflict and strife are encouraged, condoned and rewarded.

The causes of division and conflict have been with us for centuries; history will not be eradicated and cannot be rewritten. It is history. However, our institutions - particularly the news media - have an opportunity to begin defining a new history based upon a new spirit of community respect, inclusiveness, and openness about our differences. This new value based upon diversity will, over time, help our communities become more peaceful places despite the long history of conflict and division.

The journalists who seek out stories, write them, and report them must understand our history. The history that journalists must know and use when reporting about our communities is one that can be best described as a balanced history not beholden to one group or another. Fully professional journalists truly will keep in mind that we can not take sides in past conflicts. We present all sides and provide accurate information about the results of that history as it shapes where we are headed tomorrow. We are to be the informed eyes and ears of the total community able and willing to provide the information that will give meaning and context to the news of the day without ignoring the history that was yesterday.

What is our job in creating a forum that can begin to develop tolerance and community understanding? We must always present the news with accurate use of language; with images that tell the true story and not the story that someone else would like to see; and we must be able to write an accurate context into each story. That context is at the heart of changing the way the news media focuses on one side of a conflict versus another. We provide context, accurate facts without bias for the simple goal of allowing the people who read, watch, or listen to our news reports to make up their minds about the facts and events we are reporting.

We are truly the voice of the people. To be a voice in our complex societies, we must develop our means to reach the people, learn who they are, what they are interested in, and how the actions of other institutions affect their lives. This is our role as the eyes and ears of our communities in a world where there is no longer one side to every story.

This manual is meant to be used to develop, plan, and conduct seminars, workshops, trainings, and consciousness-raising activities for reporters, editors, producers, and other journalists and media professionals. It is designed to provide the leaders of such programs with flexibility in deciding what is the best technique for discussing and developing a diversity approach to journalism based upon the needs of the local community, and the needs of journalists who are chosen or seek to participate in training.

To facilitate this approach to training, the manual is divided into modules which should provide leaders with the opportunity to design a training program that will meet the needs of each participant group. The leaders should feel free to use all or portions of each module. Leaders are encouraged to add examples from their local or regional or national newspapers and radio and television broadcasts to focus the training to make it maximally useful for local participants.

To strengthen the credibility and the value of the newspaper as an instrument of community participation and understanding.

• Increase diversity of voices and images in the media.
• Strengthen connections with readers, listeners, and viewers.
• Reach communities that have generally not considered the newspaper or broadcast media as reflective of their lives and views.

Each leader should consider this manual a work in progress. Your experiences as seminar leaders will assist in continuing the development of the concept of diversity as a value in our coverage and our communities. Your feedback regarding the effectiveness of this approach and your contributions of examples to add to this manual as you review your local newspapers and radio and television broadcasts will be an important part of developing a body of knowledge that we hope will lead to a change in media values and the development of societies where "difference" is valued and every individual can take advantage of the benefits of citizenship.