Talk That ISH! (Inclusivity in Stories Hour)
How can we fix the approach to the lack of intersectionality in journalism practices to reshift society to trust journalists and the news media again? Our idea is to have an ongoing conversation about the need for inclusivity and attentiveness when reporting on issues that are about and impact certain marginalized communities. Not only are articles often insensitive to the communities they are reporting on, but they also do not portray a storyline that is conveying enough. Journalists are taught to avoid strong language, but for some narratives, strong language must be used in order to convey the true story. Our mission is to discuss, as journalists, how we can better convey stories to help society regain trust in journalists.
Step 1:
TALK THAT ISH has a call in number that allows listeners to connect us live and have conversations about journalism and the interaction between journalists and marginalized communities.
1–800-TALKISH
TALK THAT ISH encourages young journalists to send in their questions, concerns and advice regarding intersectionality and the storytelling approaches.
Interested Journalists can email submissions@talkthatish.com, and we will choose one from the collection of statements to talk about on each show!
It’s so easy!
Step 2:
This is what our Podcast page would look like on a major streaming service, this would make it easily accessible to a large audience.
Step 3:
Listen!
Statement of Change:
Talk That ISH is created by journalists for fellow journalists as well as the general public. By discussing how we, as journalists can approach sensitive topics such as intersectionality and cultural heritage we will limit the number of harmful interactions between journalists and marginalized communities. Through these unfiltered, open discussions we will bridge the gap between interviewer and interviewee. We encourage call ins from experts in the field, as well as call ins from marginalized individuals who have had negative or positive experiences with journalists. Additionally, we intend on linking resources at the end of each of our podcasts for the listeners to easily access opportunities to take action. This could include non-profit organizations or workshops, or even examples of journalists doing positive reporting in marginalized communities. Ultimately, this podcast will inform journalists about how to report on heavy topics in a respectful, educated manner. By talking that ISH with journalists from around the world we hope that those listeners choose to incorporate these practices into their everyday reporting and create a society of trust in journalists.
Resources:
Initial pitch ideas:
- Create a workshop between groups who feel misrepresented and journalists/news outlets. The workshop will be interactive and consistent. Journalists will work together to further their understanding of intersectionality.
- Create a podcast, short 5 to 10-minute episodes that encourage a conversation between marginalized groups and journalists. We will have call ins discussing what our jobs are as journalists and the new wave of journalism.
- Form sensitivity training workshops. These would be seminar style with specialized speakers such as community leaders, and local people.
- A big archive: Different people’s stories such as marginalized groups, documentary journalism, and articles from alternative media sources. This would create a visual version of retold stories that are going be told through the lens of the people, not journalists. Unedited. Through this, we would be re-shifting the power of narrative to get rid of bias from older news stories.
The Authors:
