The Maynard Institute highlighted voices from African-American, Chinese, Latino and Filipino media leaders in a digital dialogue on their long-standing coverage of structural disparities, and the crucial role of a collective movement for racial equity. By Aaron Glantz

News outlets with positive engagement from communities of color built relationships before COVID-19 — By Jean Marie Brown It’s been more than 50 years since the Kerner Report, a government-sponsored assessment of institutional American racism, all but indicted journalists for failing to produce a multi-dimensional report on black America. …

Black press has exposed the extent of institutionalized health inequality, but will anything change? — By Odette Alcazaren-Keeley In mid-April, initial demographic data including from the CDC pointed to disproportionate impacts of the coronavirus pandemic among communities of color in the United States. Now a new study of California coronavirus patients published on May 21 in the journal Health Affairs, adds to a growing body…

Native American media has taken on the challenge of accurately collecting COVID-19 data for tribes across America in order to advocate for their communities. — By Odette Alcazaren-Keeley In early April, close to 300 million Americans in almost 40 states were under week three of shelter-in-place orders to battle the coronavirus pandemic. …

Giving prejudiced voices 50 percent of coverage doesn’t make your reporting impartial. — By Jean Marie Brown Sift through the COVID-19 reports and you’ll likely find the Fault Line of race just below the surface. You’re also likely to find journalists falling into the trap of false equivalency in the name of “fairness” or in an effort to reveal official bias and prejudice…

News media tends to leave out the LGBTQ voice; a single source from the nonheterosexual community doesn’t cut it. — By Martin G. Reynolds Mainstream news outlets frame the coverage of the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on the LGBTQ community through a lens of fear and risk. …

During a pandemic, where we live affects our access to healthcare, but also the quality of our internet connections and access to outdoor exercise and leisure activities. — By Jean Marie Brown The Fault Line of geography runs throughout the coverage of COVID-19. On the surface, it’s the answer to “where” and “proximity” as the locations of cases and hotspots dominate newscasts and headlines. It’s incumbent upon journalists to understand that societal Fault Lines — race, gender, generation…

American faith rituals are rapidly changing during coronavirus quarantine and there are fewer religion reporters than ever to go beyond surface level coverage. — By Felecia D. Henderson Years of staffing cuts have gnawed away at key areas of expertise that used to reside within so many of America’s newsrooms. That void perhaps is no more apparent than around the topic of religion. With the world now fighting coronavirus like the plague it is…

The Maynard Institute is offering a series of free, live webinars to its program alumni, members and the broader media community. These sessions feature an array of expertise, resources and discussions that aim to bolster inclusive coverage, and support the work of journalists of all backgrounds, amid the pandemic. …