Highlighting Beyond Superficiality: Journalists Reveal Strategies for Infusing Multiple Viewpoints in Business Reporting
The National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) and the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing (SABEW) recently hosted a virtual panel discussion on practical strategies to bring diverse perspectives to business stories. The event, moderated by Jeff Kauflin, a co-chair of the NAHJ Business Journalism Task Force and a senior editor at Forbes, featured panelists Maria Curi, tech policy reporter at Axios, Ana Teresa Solá, personal finance reporter at CNBC, and Laura Zelenko, global head of editorial standards at Bloomberg News.
Maria Curi highlighted the power of journalists to make editorial decisions and influence what stories are told. She stressed the importance of covering the impact of companies not having DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) policies, especially on the technology beat. Curi believes that good journalism requires representing multiple perspectives in stories to avoid one-sided narratives.
Laura Zelenko emphasized the importance of knowing why diversity matters in daily journalism work. She noted that reflecting reality and telling the full picture is essential in journalism. Zelenko advised against falling into the trap of box-checking diversity for the sake of it. Instead, she suggested immersing oneself in the community when covering a story to find diverse sources.
Ana Teresa Solá recommended reaching out to economists, financial planners, and industry experts from diverse backgrounds. She suggested setting goals for diversity in reporting, but noted that the goal is to make stories stronger and more holistic. Solá also recommended using nonprofit organizations as a resource for finding experts and input.
Curi added that setting targets and tracking data can help newsrooms make systemic changes to address underrepresentation. Zelenko explained that newsrooms tracking diversity data can help determine if meaningful change is being made. She also noted that Bloomberg TV has been tracking its female representation data since 2018 and has almost quadrupled that representation.
Zelenko emphasized the importance of journalists having facts and prior statements ready to question companies about changes in their DEI initiatives. In recent weeks, specific journalists actively promoting diversity in business journalism newsrooms, sources, and stories have not been explicitly named in the available search results. However, the Deutscher Journalisten-Verband (DJV) as one of Germany's largest journalist organizations advocates broadly for strong journalism, which includes diversity and fair representation, as part of their mission to support journalists and press freedom.
Curi emphasized that diversity in journalism extends beyond the people interviewed, it also involves the stories chosen to tell. Solá agreed, stating that it's crucial to cover the impact of companies not having DEI policies, especially on the technology beat. The panelists concluded that by incorporating diverse perspectives in their work, journalists can create more balanced, accurate, and engaging stories for their readers.
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