Everything that's happening right now, all of the anger and frustration you're seeing from black journalists isn't something that just bubbled to the surface. This is following years of our ideas, thoughts & expertise being cast aside.
It’s really not enough to just listen to us in this moment. We have been saying these things for years, for decades. There’s no need to form a task force to identify the problems. The issues are well documented. It’s time to shift toward tangible action.
To everyone saying we must have a “free exchange of ideas,” and that we “owe it to readers to present both sides,” this is true in many regards. But let’s be clear: Racism is not a both sides issue. The amplification of some voices can put people in very real danger.
Want a true "free exchange of ideas?"
Here's a novel idea: Hire black reporters. Hire black photographers. Hire black social media experts. Hire and promote talent to management and leadership roles.
Do this in every single corner of your newsrooms.
Serious about hiring black/POC journalists?
Happening today: @IRE_NICAR and the @MaynardInst are hosting a very timely discussion today at 11am PT/2pm ET on how to create a REAL inclusive newsroom. Sign up.
FROM BIRTH TO DEATH: I spent the past year exploring how the legacy of racism in America has laid the foundation for the health inequities Black people face from their first breath to their final moments.
This series is deeply personal to me. Growing up in Detroit, I saw my neighbors, my own family grapple with the topics we explored in every story of this project:
-Infant & maternal mortality
-Childhood asthma
-Mental health of teens
-High blood pressure
-Alzheimer's
I've wanted to report on this for years. Then, COVID happened. I watched Black Americans endure COVID's disparate impact. High blood pressure, etc were cited as drivers. But generations of racism created the perfect storm for us to die. This project was created with that in mind.
A career first: A Republican state legislator in Tennessee introduced a resolution Thursday in response to our AP investigation of racism in the U.S. military. He accused us of “incendiary journalism” & wants the legislature to “reprimand the AP.” We stand by our reporting.
Racism and extremism within the military has been well documented over several decades. Countless studies have been done — and the military itself has acknowledged the problem. We told much of our series through the perspectives and experiences of service members and veterans.
My colleagues and I spent nearly a year interviewing dozens of service members and experts — some of whom could not speak publicly out of fear of retribution. We poured over copious documents & FOIAs. We did our homework. No matter how much one tries deny it, racism does exist.
NEW AP investigation w/@JimLaPorta: The Pentagon has pledged to stamp out extremism for decades. Yet, it doesn't outright ban troops from being members of hate groups like the KKK. And the military’s judicial system has no explicit category for hate crimes.apnews.com/article/busine…
This is the final story in our year-long series about racism & extremism within the military.
The first story examined a deep-rooted culture of racism & discrimination that the DoD has failed to eradicate. "A lot of us suffer in silence," a veteran said.apnews.com/article/us-mil…
It's worth noting we sent dozens of questions to the DoD ahead of publication -- days before they held a press conference announcing policy changes tied to extremism. They did not respond to our questions.
NEW @AP investigation: Current & former enlistees & officers in nearly every branch of the armed services say the military has a deep-rooted intractable culture of racism & discrimination that has festered, despite repeated efforts to eradicate it. apnews.com/article/us-mil…
Key findings:
-The military’s judicial system has no explicit category for hate crimes, making it difficult to quantify crimes motivated by prejudice.
-The Defense Department has no way to track the number of troops ousted for extremist views, despite pledges to root them out.
We heard heartbreaking stories of racism: This is Air Force veteran Stephanie Davis. She worked her way up the ranks, becoming a flight surgeon, commander of flight medicine & a lt. colonel.
Yet, she was called racial slurs & experienced discrimination throughout her career.
A case study to be taught in every journalism school and newsroom: Journalism is not stenography. We must verify everything — including “official” police accounts.
Language matters: Stop using police jargon, too. Phrases like “officer involved shooting.” Vague suspect descriptions. State what you know plainly. State what you don’t know. Be judicious.
Journalists will ask people they interview to produce documents and all sorts of proof to make sure that their stories are solid, right? Fact check and verification, line by line in some cases. Why does that level of skepticism not translate to law enforcement agencies?
“America refuses to acknowledge that America is not a country without the labor of and the blood, sweat and tears of Black people. Until America values those contributions, it will never value Blackness as a life form.” apnews.com/article/breonn…
“We’re constantly turning on the TV, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and seeing people that look like us who are getting murdered with no repercussions. It’s not normal to see someone get murdered by the click of a video on your phone, yet it has become the norm for our people.”
The trauma extends beyond police violence: “We’ve essentially handed down 10 or 15 generations worth of boxes of trauma that have yet to be unpacked, and that’s what’s contributing to a lot of those biological and mental health related issues that we’re having.”