How Journalists Can Improve Coverage on Black Communities

The very topic of Black identity has been on trial in America for some time. When George Floyd was murdered in 2020, the ensuing protests stoked racial tensions that have been at play in the United States since the Civil War. There have been ongoing conversations about representations of Black communities in the media, which have often relied on racist stereotypes and have caused these tensions and divisions to widen and deepen rather than to bring the struggles of Black people in the United States closer to the light. 

For example, in U.S. media, 59 percent of portrayals of poor communities showed Black people, but only 27 percent of Americans living in poverty are Black. Since the Reagan administration, Black people have been falsely shown to be heavily reliant on government programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Black people also represent 37 percent of criminals depicted in the news, but in reality Black people make up 26 percent of people arrested on criminal charges.  

Part of this is because newsrooms are disproportionately white. Only six percent of news directors in the United States are Black. Therefore, prejudice is pervasive in the media, and journalists must work to undo it. 

But how?

OFFER BLACK WRITERS CHANCES TO WRITE

Having an understanding of one's own social and cultural position is an essential aspect of successfully representing the intersectional experiences of different groups. Those who hold privileged positions may not fully comprehend the experiences of people who have not had the same advantages. Therefore, journalists from within marginalized communities, such as Black writers, are better positioned to highlight underrepresented issues and narratives in their coverage.

One way to promote better representation is to offer writing opportunities to Black writers through word-of-mouth, social media, and references. This may be a gradual process, but improving representation can make a difference for one writer and one story at a time.

Non-Black journalists who are unable to offer their platform to Black writers should acknowledge their own biases and positionality, as this can help readers understand the lens through which they are reporting, though this is extremely subjective. When possible, Black journalists should be given the reins to report on stories about their own communities.

At the same time, writers should be aware of their own limitations and the potential for tokenization. Even when intending to give a voice to underrepresented groups, such as Black trans people, there is a risk of focusing solely on their racial and gender identity, rather than their broader human experience—which plays into tension and racial divisions as noticed in the opening.

BEWARE OF WHITE SAVIORISM

White savior complexes are a phenomenon where white people, often from privileged backgrounds, take it upon themselves to "save" people of color or other marginalized groups. This can be seen in many different contexts, including journalism, where a journalist may try to "save" a community through their coverage, perpetuating a power dynamic where the journalist positions themselves as the hero and the community as the passive recipients of their help.

Rather than positioning themselves as the hero, journalists can use their platform to elevate the stories and perspectives of people within the community without tokenizing the community. This approach can be particularly effective when working with sources who may have historically been underrepresented or ignored in mainstream media coverage.

White savior complexes may originate from a range of factors, including historical power dynamics, stereotypes, and a desire to feel good about oneself. For instance, in colonial contexts, white people often saw themselves as bringing "civilization" to supposedly "primitive" cultures, positioning themselves as superior and in need of rescuing. In contemporary contexts, white savior complexes may stem from a desire to be seen as a "good" person or to feel as though one is making a difference in the world.

A very common trap that masquerades as “positive representation” is the idea of the “exceptional” person-building a story around one “exceptional” or “model citizen” which holds the person to the standards of whiteness rather than exploring the dynamics of that person’s community. This, in fact, makes the struggles of that community seem trite or otherwise ingenuine.

INCLUDE BLACK COMMUNITIES IN ALL OF YOUR STORIES, NOT JUST ONES THAT CENTER BLACK PEOPLE'S’ STRUGGLES OR STRIFE

A great way to avoid the traps noted in above sections is to make space for Black perspectives in topics that don’t necessarily center a specific community’s experience, or else center “exceptional” members of that community (such as celebrities.) One way to achieve this is by consulting a greater variety of references on academic and scientific topics, such as the databases and resources shared by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) to find experts to confer with or information to include in your reporting. 

However, improving representation requires a long-term effort from journalists and media workers across the industry. Rather than perpetuating savior narratives that frame Black people as exceptional success stories, there are opportunities to center stories about ordinary Black people, such as school teachers, single fathers, and college graduates, and in a time where the United States is actively going after teachers and educated people, that’s a story that impacts everybody.

To ethically represent Black people in reporting, journalists can commit to allyship in various forms. This includes continuing to check your privilege and helping to redistribute perspectives, resources, and the voices allowed into the newsroom, and continuing to do so all year. In this process, journalists can work towards creating more equitable and empowering coverage that accurately reflects the diversity and complexity of Black experiences.