bk260113@ohio.edu
"I do not pretend to understand the moral universe; the arc is a long one, my eye reaches but little ways; I cannot calculate the curve and complete the by the experience of sight; I can divine it by conscience. And from what I see I am sure it bends towards justice". - Theodore Parker
In our country today, diversity plays a huge impact on today's society. Along with that, everything is constantly changing. As journalists, it may be a challenge for us to keep up, but it's something that we must do, and even more so as news writers or reporters. We need to take our acts or opinions into consideration before having them reach out to the public eye. Although diversity has always existed, it's not like it was 20 or 50 years ago. There is much more subject matter that is highly discussed such as the Black Lives Matter movement, gay marriages, transponders, etc. As a former education major, we have focused on these issues as well. They are being taught in schools, children's books, and television shows. According to the blog on Social Justice Parenting, 11-13% of middle school students - yes, middle school students, of a broad range of both ethnical and racial identities are identifying themselves as gay, lesbian, transgender, or are questioning themselves. The age range of this is becoming more and more young.
When discussing diversity, we need to keep everything balanced and equal. It is essential to keep up to date with everything changing and for those that tend to define themselves at a young age (since we could be dealing with minors in some cases). Diversity, however, does not involve how one perceives his or herself, but also on how he or she perceives others. Before creating any news story to the public, refrain from your own personal beliefs and do not show any biases. This would help cause less confrontation and controversy. It's important to always promote equality. We need to deal with issues such as communication and change at a constant basis. By doing so, we will gain a variety of viewpoints. This helps us become more comfortable and at ease with communicating different points of view, and we also gain lots of ideas and experiences. Perceptual and cultural barriers are something that we should look over in order to succeed.
Challenges
While associating with all kinds of people from different backgrounds, we need to recognize the value of all of the differences that one has along with promoting inclusiveness. As mentioned before, we should always hold on to a fair attitude and respect these differences.
Minimize Harm
This can all correlate to the SPJ Code of ethic to minimize harm. As the SPJ site mentions, we should show compassion to those that we are working with and that can be affected. "Minimizing harm" means "letting your humanity show through." They live with the consequences for many years to come with these news stories.
Conclusion
Diversity overall helps us expend and to become stronger journalists. It's an ongoing project that primarily focus on women, gays, lesbians, and race. So where will we be in 20 or 50 years from now? We don't know, but it's something for us to keep an eye out for. Regardless of time, respect and dignity, it is something that we should always hold on to while working with others.
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| Collins Unbound |
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