How Tracking Can Improve Gender Representation in Sourcing from J-School to the Newsroom

During a year of racial-justice protests nationwide, journalists whose job is to hold institutions to account for racist outcomes have turned their gazes inward, to their own newsrooms. Their efforts have won some progress in diverse staffing at the Star Tribune in Minneapolis and the Express-News in San Antonio. The burden has fallen largely to journalists of color to press for newsrooms that better reflect their communities. In Minneapolis, managers promised a trio of new hires and better training. San Antonio editors began hiring columnists of color in the majority-Latino city.

Citizen watchdogs can hold local police accountable by using the tactics of investigative reporters that have successfully exposed systemic problems and sparked reforms. One reporter shares five approaches he’s used to hold up policies and practices to scrutiny, some of which led to positive change. He provides a how-to on learning the existing policies, obtaining public records, engaging influencers in honest dialog, presenting verified evidence in a fair format, and seeking allies to pressure for reform.

Ahmed Albasheer is an Iraqi journalist who uses a combination of humor and grassroots organizing to teach youth in Iraq and across the world about their government's corruption with his show, "The Albasheer Show.” He has been compared to Jon Stewart in how his weekly series airing on YouTube and satellite television engages young people through his comedic timing and straight-forward manner of speaking. As a result, protests have erupted, and the government has killed protesters in response, but Albasheer continues to boost morale and amplify their voices in solidarity.

A nearly two-year investigation of Mexicans who had gone missing, and presumably murdered, produced a series of stories based on the database of at least 2,000 graves across Mexico. A group of independent reporters and photographers called “¿A dónde van los desaparecidos?” (where do the disappeared go?) supplied victims' families with information that previous government and private efforts had not, and that fueled demands for definitive information on their loved ones' deaths. More than 40,000 people have been reported missing in Mexico since 2006 amid drug-related violence.

Philadelphia Inquirer reporter-columnist Helen Ubiñas launched a series of pop-up newsrooms to talk to people in neighborhoods that usually only attract fleeting news coverage over violence and other problems. Ubiñas' mission: to find hidden stories, and in the process of that inspire trust among the people journalists are supposed to serve. From city pools to barbershops, schools, and a criminal record expungement clinic, Ubiñas found people willing to open up about their lives thanks to the rare face-to-face interaction.

100% Mamans, an association in Morocco that aids single mothers, has created a radio show called "Mères en Ligne" that is hosted and run by unwed mothers. The show, which at this point can only live online because Morocco prohibits community radio to broadcast on air, allows women to tell their stories and advocate for their rights despite the heavy stigma. Since the show launched in May of 2017, it has already received 2,500,000 visitors and counting.

Strengthening the link between local journalism and civic engagement lends a voice to communities long underrepresented. Chicago’s City Bureau brings the newsroom out to neighborhoods and communities. In an effort to augment a lack of diversity in US newsrooms and a lack of understanding surrounding local issues, City Bureau empowers locals to act as “documenters” collecting, analyzing, and reporting on public meetings and issues that matter to their communities. By making journalism accessible to locals, City Bureau aims to build trust and redefine the journalistic process.

In an age where small, rural newspapers are shrinking and disappearing, local paper Harvey County Now started engaging more with its audience to find ways to better meet their news needs to keep money flowing and the newspaper afloat. From sending out e-newsletters, hosting local events and launching a premium membership program called Press Club, which grants access to benefits like concert tickets and exclusive events, Harvey County Now managed to increase its profits while simultaneously keeping its audience and print paper intact.

Black people use social media to gather and amplify information about missing and murdered black women when the mainstream media is not covering their stories.

The UDEME Monitor program trains student journalists to track and report on transparency and accountability around publicly-funded projects. The team has produced roughly 1,000 stories exposing corruption and gaps in implementation and has worked directly with community residents to raise awareness around procurement processes.