Journalism's responsibility to inclusion

     With media comes a great toll on both the producer and the audience of influential media. As producers of media, we hold a very special and specific position of power among consumers to shape their perception of certain things or people. With this in mind, the authentic and well-developed inclusion of diverse minority groups should be a focus in any journalistic or media-producing career. But how do we do this exactly? There are many ways to develop a well-rounded perspective on people of color that will help to better inform your portrayal of such groups. 

An easy start is to simply consume media made, produced, or enjoyed by that particular group to develop understanding about how they would portray themselves, what they would like to see themselves portrayed as, and how it differs from how typical media portrays them. 

Another good way to gain perspective is to simply hold focus groups. Gather members of that particular group, or even send your project to an already founded group dedicated to reviewing their portrayal, and be open to feedback on how the perspective can be bettered. It is important to hear directly from the groups you wish to portray rather than relying on simply your understanding of what they would like or what you believe them to be. 

This leads me to the final, and arguably most important, strategy for creating authentic and impactful representation of diverse groups in media. It is not enough for that group to be a topic in the room; they need to actually be present in the room. Having someone from that group there to weigh in on the entire process is unmatched in terms of authentic representation. You cannot truly be considered inclusive when you are not including the people in question in the discussions of their community. This exclusion or silencing of their own voices is what leads to misunderstandings about a group, which is quite possibly worse then not being represented at all. 

Not all press is good press when the dignity and representation of an already vulnerable group hangs in the balance. It is your professional, social, and moral obligation to put the time and effort into representing minority groups appropriately and respectfully.