Delano Massey talks to student journalists about what he does as the producer for CNN's Race and Equality Team

Erin Ashley

ea350918@ohio.edu

Delano Massey, an award-winning journalist, started out as a police reporter in St. Louis, Missouri, which is an incredibly impoverished city with lots of crime. He stated that it was difficult to get information as a police reporter but that he learned a lot.

On November 8, Massey, who was selected to be the producer for CNN's Race and Equality Team, gave a virtual speech to student journalists about what he does as a member of his team. Massey clarified that this team hasn't always been around, and it only arose in the year 2020.

CNN President Jeff Zucker stated that the creation of this team was to break news and cover stores surrounding race and systemic racism, which is something that has plagued the media since the heightened media presence of the Black Lives Matter movement in the year 2020. Because of the protests that broke out in 2020, Zucker believes that Americans now recognize how many facets of life are plagued by systemic racism.

Massey clarified that "this stuff is cyclical", meaning that there are patterns in the stories that his team covers.  Zucker believes that the patterns of racism have been shown in more indirect ways, such as lack of representation in leadership roles and inequality in business, politics, and even the media.

Graphic courtesy of Pew Research Center

With Donald Trump being president during the Black Lives Matter movement protests, Black Americans expressed discontent with how Trump relayed his response to the protests that resulted from the death of George Floyd. However, on the other hand, Black Americans felt that news organizations that covered the protests that resulted from the death of George Floyd did a much better job than Trump.

Massey discussed how one of the first major things that his team covered was the case involving Breonna Taylor, a Black woman whose house was broken into by police which resulted in her death. He expressed that as the producer of this team Race and Equality Team, his job was to tell his peers that this story needs more attention.

Another case that Massey demonstrated interest in covering more was the case involving Ahmaud Arbery, a Black man who was unarmed and killed while going for a jog. He said that we, as journalists, need to reflect on these incredibly pivotal cases and push for more attention on them.

The creation of this team was to provide these intense cases and stories a platform and a voice. Massey stated that he and his team are simply a "vessel", allowing other people's stories to come through them.

Massey announced that his team has met resistance in the past for the stories that they cover. However, he emphasized that they must work through it in order to fulfill the promises that the team dedicated themselves to.

During the Question and Answer portion of the presentation, a student came forward and asked how white people can help tell these stories and bring justice where it needs serving. Massey asserted that white people can simply be allies, be advocates, and amplify Black voices.