Why Énois Has Created A “Diversity Toolkit” For Reporters
The Énois Journalism Lab in Brazil is aiming to increase diversity, inclusion and representation in the country’s media industry. The organization, which was founded as a journalism school in 2009 to support young people in underprivileged areas of São Paulo, has expanded its focus in recent years to promote diversity efforts in local journalism across Brazil. In 2020, it created a diversity toolkit to help other newsrooms replicate its “decentralized, territory-focused” journalism practices.
The toolkit reflects the ethos of Énois, which aims to expose the white, elitist perspectives that dominate traditional journalism. It covers topics such as audience, culture, distribution, teams, management and product, and is free for anyone to access. The toolkit is structured like a lab, with Énois identifying the practices of its partners, students and trainers, systematizing the findings, and adding the information to the toolkit. A third party is appointed to check and add information as necessary throughout the online kit.
The aim is to make diversity a fundamental part of newsroom protocol and journalists’ work, rather than an external-facing trend or as a gimmick to pick up more readers. “Diversity must be a part of the team, of newsroom protocol, of journalists’ work from the very start, for it to be able to make a positive impact on news coverage. Diversity needs to transform practices, and the way people see the world,” noted Sanara Santos, who works in the lab. Énois hopes that the toolkit will provide an easier way for diversity to be championed in newsrooms, with its experience and insights spreading and adopted across Brazil.
“How is the toolkit organized?” writes Santos, “Just like a lab that tests subject matter until it reaches an informed result: first, we identify the practices of our partners, students and trainers, as well as those of our own team. Then, we systematize the findings to be replicated and taught in the training courses we provide. Our final step is to add the information to the toolkit. I am one member of the team responsible for tracking and organizing the tools identified during our training sessions.“
The toolkit in action manifested when Gessika Costa, who attended many of Énois’ programs and now writes for Olhos Jornalismo, suggested the creation of a database on the health of Indigenous sources—which she then used to reach out to and interview Indigenous sources. By using best practices that Énois already set up in the toolkit, Costa was incredibly successful on this assignment. She then took steps to connect with Indigenous communities in Alagoas (one of the 27 federative units of Brazil) and spoke with sources within the communities who helped with more contacts and research on social media. In using the toolkit itself, Costa was able to add to the toolkit in a meaningful way.
“The coverage of the Indigenous agenda must guide the daily life of traditional communities,” Costa said. “Upon reflecting on the creation of the Indigenous sources database, I realized we need to shorten the distances here in Alagoas.” Thanks to Costa’s work, journalists in Brazil are having more conversations that involve indigenous peoples from the get-go rather than only in sporadic bursts or for special interest stories.
Énois’ ambition is to readjust the structure of journalism as a whole, not just when diversity is a hot-button issue, by making the initial practices of even gathering data and putting pen to paper for a story more inclusive by encouraging conversations outside of the journalist’s sphere of influence and personal comfort zone.
