Wednesday’s siege at the U.S. Capitol held a mirror up for America to see itself, plainly showcasing deep-seeded inequity in the treatment of law-breaking white supporters of President Trump and the peaceful social justice protests of summer 2020.
“Many Black Americans, leaders, activists and even President-elect Joe Biden noted in the aftermath that had that been Black protesters or Black Lives Matter supporters, the results would have been very different — as history has demonstrated repeatedly,” says Kat Stafford (pictured), national investigative writer covering race and ethnicity for the Associated Press. ”America has yet to reckon fully with its dark history of racism.”
From your perspective as a leading reporter covering race and ethnicity, what did you see unfold at the Capitol on Wednesday?
Stafford: As the Capitol insurrection began to unfold, I was in the middle of an interview with a key Georgia organizer about the extraordinary effort of Black-led organizing work that cemented the historic Senate runoff victories. We just sat on the phone in silence for a few moments as we watched the rioters breach the Capitol. Then he sighed and said, “This is America. The one we’ve known has long existed. The fight continues and we have a long road ahead.”
So, what I saw unfold was the juxtaposition of the hard-fought victory of Black mobilization efforts, which helped propel President-elect Joe Biden and the two Georgia senators into office, get overshadowed by an insurrection led by a mostly white, violent mob of President Trump supporters attempting to subvert those very victories. What we saw was the convergence of dual realities of America and one of the plainest displays of a racial double standard in recent memory. Many Black Americans, leaders, activists and even President-elect Joe Biden noted in the aftermath that had that been Black protesters or Black Lives Matter supporters, the results would have been very different — as history has demonstrated repeatedly. America has yet to reckon fully with its dark history of racism.
In light of the siege at the Capitol, where does race and culture reporting go from here? What coverage do Americans need?
Stafford: Race coverage must be an integral part of every beat. It can no longer be treated as a reactive or special interest topic that newsrooms cover as breaking news event occurs. Race is the story, and it intersects and is the undercurrent of everything. As the nation’s demographics continue to shift, newsrooms will be forced to adapt, accurately reflect and include the voices and perspectives of marginalized communities. The Associated Press has invested heavily into its race coverage, and I’m fortunate to be part of a great team that really prioritizes this. Americans need more robust coverage that details and investigates how structural racism has manifested itself in every corner of American life.
Many people outside of the D.C. area may see Wednesday’s events as a “far away” issue. What questions should local reporters be answering to keep race-driven issues at the forefront in their communities?
Stafford: What we saw unfold Wednesday is a national issue with serious local implications. More than 74 million Americans across the country voted for President Donald Trump despite the fact his presidency emboldened white supremacy and racism. This is something that journalists will be covering for quite some time. I’ve reported a lot about how polarized and deeply divided the nation is — but those divisions didn’t begin four years ago. So the very basic question reporters should start thinking about is how has racism — individual, institutional and structural — impacted my community in the past and in the present? Unfortunately, there are endless stories to tell on various beats.
What advice can you share about sourcing race-focused stories, especially in times of crisis?
Stafford: I speak frequently about the need for what I call equitable sourcing, as well as reexamining who newsrooms consider to be an expert. Whether you’re a local or national reporter, prioritizing finding and developing relationships with diverse experts, not just racially — but gender and socioeconomic lines, too — is key for providing a fuller perspective and insight for readers that is often missed in coverage. An expert isn’t just a doctor, political analyst or historian or an “official” voice, either. I view community voices as experts of the communities they live in. Those voices should also be centered and amplified in a way that isn’t transactional or extractive. My advice: Meet and find people where they are.
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What can newsrooms do to help journalists cope with the trauma of seeing colleagues threatened and attacked by a mob storming the U.S. Capitol, sending a clear message: “Murder the media”?
Keith Woods (pictured), Chief Diversity Officer at NPR, shares how leaders can support their teams, particularly journalists of color, during this tumultuous time.
From your perspective as a diversity and inclusion leader, what are the key issues managers in newsrooms across the U.S. should be thinking about in light of Wednesday’s siege on the Capitol?
Woods: Newsroom managers need to be alert to the elevated threats to all journalists and the specific vitriol and threats that have been directed at journalists of color in moments like this. Also, many journalists have already been pursuing stories highlighting the stark differences in the ways police officials continue to respond to the lawlessness of mobs like we saw on Wednesday compared to the behavior of uniformed (and unidentifiable) law enforcement officers during recent protests and marches by and about Black Americans.
How can — and should — newsrooms nurture conversations around race unrelated to coverage?
Woods: Newsrooms can best support people of color on their staffs by checking in with them regularly, naming the trauma they may be encountering, and creating space for them to process and recover. Though the impact differs, this would be good advice for anyone being sent to cover events like the one we saw on Wednesday.
If you could offer one piece of advice related to diversity for journalists today, what would that be?
Woods: My one piece of advice would be that it’s well past time to acknowledge that all distinctions drawn between the people carrying the American flags, the Trump flags and the Confederate flags during the insurrection at the Capitol are semantic and hair-splitting. Journalists need to report on the complex ways that bigotry is intermingled with similar “movements.”
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Newsroom leaders often are adept at spotting and fixing gaps in coverage that can affect readership. An equally, if not more, important skill is identifying your newsroom’s internal blind spots, including your own. Practicing allyship — being a trusted force for good on behalf of those who traditionally have been marginalized — takes consistent attention. As a leader, devote yourself not just to advocating for change, but leading it through actively amplifying issues and sponsorship — especially when there isn’t an audience for your effort.
Advice from Jill Geisler, Bill Plante Chair in Leadership & Media Integrity, Loyola University Chicago, Freedom Forum Fellow in Women’s Leadership
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Need a break from the news? Here are five ways to take care of yourself right now.
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We start 2021 with a COVID vaccine, but the rollout has been slower than planned and a coordinated public health communication effort is needed to convince people to get vaccinated. Public opinion research shows a number of challenges: some people are justifiably skeptical of “big Pharma” and government; others are actively working to spread disinformation about the vaccine; and many remain unconvinced of the vaccine’s safety. What is being done to overcome these challenges, how can communicators be most effective, and how can reporters best cover the vaccination story and combat the disinformation?
Join the National Press Club Journalism Institute and the National Press Club Communicators Committee for a candid conversation on the COVID vaccine: Communication challenges for public health efforts & reporters. Registration is now open for this program, which will take place from 12-1 p.m. EST on Wednesday, January 13, 2021.
The panel will feature Jesse Holland, Assistant Professor of Journalism at George Washington University, author, scholar and African American history expert; Nick Sugai, Vice President at the Ad Council, which is leading a national public education campaign to encourage vaccination; Susan Winckler, CEO of the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the Food and Drug Administration, who will share public opinion research on the vaccination. The conversation will be moderated by Alison Fitzgerald Kodjak, Investigations Editor at The Associated Press, and the 112th president of the National Press Club.
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This newsletter is written & edited by the National Press Club Journalism Institute staff: Beth Francesco, Holly Butcher Grant, and Julie Moos. Send us your questions and suggestions for topics to cover.
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