Passion, diversity, commitment = the future of journalism

Passion, diversity, commitment = the future of journalism

It is easy to get discouraged about the future of journalism.

It is easy to look at dropping newspaper circulation, reports of fading readership, and tales of waning standards and discern the death knell of the industry.

It may be easy, but it’s wrong.

I say it’s wrong because I have spent the last two weeks working with young journalists committed to the craft and determined to stake a claim in a business in which they see a future. It is wrong because I have seen these aspiring reporters willing to work long hours, withstand grueling deadlines, and learn from editors who rarely mince words or hold back criticism.

It’s wrong because I have seen their eyes light up when they score a tough interview or exult in carrying out a challenging assignment for the first time. It’s wrong because I know that such passion and dedication will see them through the hard times and turbulent waters ahead — and help them reinvent and reinvigorate the world of journalism.

And most importantly, it’s wrong because I have seen the strength in their voices — the voices of young people of every color, ethnicity, and cultural background. Young people with important stories to tell, with connections to communities whose stories often go untold, with the diversity that mirrors the population of the country.

Diversity has long been a buzz word in journalism — a lofty goal, a far-off target, and at times, a seemingly impossible dream. But now, in a quickly-changing America, it is the key to survival.

In Orlando this week, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists held its 29th annual convention, amid grim financial reports and worries about the organization’s survival. During the early part of the week, the American Society of News Editors held a diversity summit, where some of the industry’s key players discussed ways to recruit journalists of color and ways to reach an increasingly diverse audience.

At both meetings, the worries about the future were palpable.

But in the hallways where Latino journalists hugged like family, in the workshops where seasoned professionals and novice reporters alike sharpened skills, in the newsroom where I and other veteran journalists helped mentor and train student-reporters, there was also the unmistakable feeling of hope — and abundant evidence that good journalism matters and will always find a way to thrive.

There was Manny Garcia, the new president of IRE and the executive editor of El Nuevo Herald, urging reporters to hold fast to the tradition of watchdog journalism, to expose wrongdoing, and to ply their trade in a way that leaves this world a better place.

There were the three Mexican journalists honored by NAHJ for risking their lives to cover the drug-war violence that is wracking their homeland and has forced them to seek asylum in the U.S. Their acceptance speech reduced an audience of about 500 fellow journalists to tears — and reminded many of us why we were first drawn to the business.

There was Ernest Sotomayor, a well-respected journalist, educator and mentor who has shepherded countless young Latinos into successful careers in the business. With a soft-spoken manner, Sotomayor has long been an advocate for breaking down barriers in newsrooms — and made the call again as he was inducted into the NAHJ Hall of Fame.

And then there were the students and the emerging journalists. For me, that is where the true hope lies.

At NAHJ this week, a group of 12 students from colleges around the country was thrust into four days of revolving deadlines, one-man multimedia bands, and digital demands. And the work they produced — published in the Latino Reporter — is cause for pride and celebration.

The week before, in New York City, I worked on a project with another group of budding journalists who covered the UN High Level Meeting on AIDS. They, too, came from cities around the country and dove into an intense whirl of chasing global delegates, heads of states, celebrities, and advocates.

Read their work in the UNITYAIDSNews, and you cannot fail to be impressed, informed and deeply moved.

It is fitting that UNITY: Journalists of Color, Inc. was responsible for the UN AIDS project. The organization, an umbrella group of minority journalists organization, was founded on the belief that strength lies in diversity.

For an industry grappling with change and uncertainty, that is a message worth heeding.

There is a future — and it lies in the people excited about producing work with accuracy, understanding, and heart. In the journalists — young and not-so-young, seasoned and just starting out — who want to tell stories that matter.

9 Replies to “Passion, diversity, commitment = the future of journalism”

  1. Year after year you work so hard with these kids. You pour your heart and soul into it. I have so much respect for you. This is a really inspiring piece.

  2. Monica: You are an inspiration. It was an honor to work with you and watch you give the young journalists wise counsel and guidance. And you are my paisana. You make Ecuador proud!! 🙂

  3. Thank you all. I am always inspired and renewed by the young journalists and by folks like all of you who believe in journalism.

  4. This is an inspiration, this was so refreshing and beautifully written! I felt like i was there watching to students work on their stories and thats one of the reasons i love the projects so much. Journalism is alive, well and always changing!

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