Chapter 17
What comes to mind when you hear the word alien?
What about “Illegal Alien”
What do you think of when you see or hear that?
Does it apply to a specific demographic group?
Even carefully chosen words Can be interpreted differently than
intended
Things that influence interpretation▪ Gender ▪ Race▪ Geography▪ Ethnic background
Define the following words▪ Majority▪ Ghetto▪ Inner City▪ How did you learn the definition of each?
Do the definitions people have of these places▪ Help to develop stereotypes?
There are news writing terms preferred by different groups▪ African American▪ Chicano▪ Hispanic, Latino
▪ People of color How would you know what term is
appropriate at any given time?▪ Reporters often ask members of the group
how they would like to be addressed
There are many organizations that help promote fairness NABJ NAHJ AAJA NLGJA
During your newsgathering Consult different groups & sources▪ To find the terms they would prefer to be used▪ Age, Race, Gender, etc▪ This goes with the sensitivity that we discussed earlier▪ Also helps to get different points of view
One way the media can be more sensitive to the needs of minorities▪ Is to hire more minorities▪ Encourage them to express their diversity
Minorities make up ▪ 13-14 percent ▪ Of the 54 thousand full time journalists
▪ 21 percent of the workforce in TV & Radio
The increase in the Hispanic population Has led to the development of ▪ More Spanish speaking publications
Multicultural sensitivity▪ Not only includes the sources, but also the kinds
of stories chosen▪ Stereotypes presented in the media also impact
the groups portrayed
Gender Differences When covering stories of different genders▪ Try to avoid incorporating stereotypical elements▪ Use appearance descriptors only if used for both
genders
▪ Tips to avoid sexism, listed on Page 331
Every group has some special needs and concerns about language. How would the following be described?▪ A man in a wheelchair▪ A person with AIDS▪ People over 65▪ Best place to start is to ask the people
you are discussing
People with disabilities Don’t characterize someone as disabled▪ Unless it’s important to the story▪ Avoid the word “handicapped”
When interviewing people with disabilities▪ Be aware of – Pg 333▪ Volume▪ Perspective when writing▪ Use of Adjectives
The U.S. Population is aging Often stories about elderly people are
▪ Written by younger people▪ Developed from a younger perspective▪ Lack sensitivity towards age
When writing about people over 65▪ Avoid descriptors that apply only to older people▪ Avoid stereotypes▪ More on pg 334
Interview members of various ethnic and racial groups on campus or in your community ▪ Ask bout their concerns and the kinds of stories
they think newspaper are not writing about them.
Develop 10 story ideas based on your interviews and select one to do a story on.▪ Include all 10 story ideas at the end of your
article