|
previous
| next | table
of contents
MODULE
6 Developing Sources
To assist program
participants in developing new and diverse sources
Diversity in sources
in news stories will by its nature create a more diverse news report.
Changing the way
we find and use sources in our news reporting is a task that requires
a great deal of conscious action on the part of a reporter. Each
reporter who is interested in creating more voices in his or her
stories must begin developing the bank of sources with each contact
made within the community. Casual meetings of people can provide
opportunities to meet that doctor or lawyer who may be able to provide
a different perspective to a routine story. Casual meetings may
provide an opportunity to add the names and numbers of academics
who are respected but may be from different ethnic groups. Every
contact with an interesting person becomes an opportunity to expand
your source list beyond the government sources that have been the
mainstay of news reporters for decades. The best reporters have
the most extensive network of diverse sources.
| Note
to Leader: |
Choose
four stories from the participants' examples or from your reading
or viewing that can be used to discuss expanding the base of
sources for news stories. Ask the participants to read each
story and break into small groups. Ask the participants to rate
the stories for their diversity of sources or voices. Are the
only people quoted men? Are the only people quoted members of
the government? Are the only people quoted from the majority
group even though there may be other perspectives on the issue
from other racial or ethnic groups? |
- Beware of unbalanced
stories that appear.
Minority issues
don't require comment from the majority; Jewish issues don't require
comment from anti-Semites. Nor do gay and lesbian issues require
comment from homophobic elements. The mechanical ³balancing²
of sources actually can open the door to biased reporting by increasing
the opportunity to use stereotypes, clichés and prejudiced
voices.
- Be careful
when describing living arrangements between adults.
In many countries
it is not relevant that a man and woman do not have a marriage certificate
or that two men or two women are a couple and live together. If
it must be mentioned, do not moralize or use coy, cute labels. Many
journalists use ³companion² or ³close friend²
to describe these long-term relationships or living arrangements.
The key: don't assume; ask the subject of the story how he or she
would characterize the relationship.
| Note
to Leader: |
Review the
stories again. Ask each participant to make a list of other
categories of people who could be contacted to add perspective
to the story. Complete the same exercise with the remaining
three stories. Ask the participants to discuss how they would
identify sources to expand the perspectives in the stories.
|
|
