1. Multi cultural sensitivity Chapter 16

2. Language of multiculturalism  Even if you choose your words carefully, you can’t be sure how they will be interpreted.  Gender, race, and geographical and ethnic background influence interpretation.

3. Language of multiculturalism  It’s hard to get people to agree on one meaning of a word.  Words like…Majority, ghetto and inner city.

4. Language of multiculturalism  Students at the University of Missouri tended to define ghetto and inner city as an area with drugs, poverty, gangs, rather than as an urban geographical location.  When a news anchor says “inner-city youth,” it is almost always followed by descriptions and visuals of young blacks killing one another for crack or high- priced athletic shoes.

5. Language of multiculturalism  Instead of memorizing the right and wrong terms, reporters should ask people or groups they are interviewing what they would like to be called or how they’d like to be addressed.

6. Definitions of race  Journalists have a difficult time defining race.  In a study, 40 percent of journalists defined race as skin color or physical characteristics.  28 percent defined race as ethnicity.  The rest gave various definitions involving social and political differences.

7. Racial identifiers  Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) contacts watches out for stereotypes or negative portrayals of Asian- Americans.  They wrote this to the WSJ in response to “Furniture–Coping with the Asian Invasion.”  “Asian Invasion” implies something ominous and dangerous; it also reinforces the bigoted belief – it continues to fester in some quarters of our society – that people of Asian descent are foreigners who are to be kept out at all cost.

8. Ethical dilemma This photo was taken at the end of a three-day conference of the Black Student Government at the University of Kansas. African-American students complained. Why? After students complained, the editor of the school newspaper responded… “Newspapers have a responsibility to present the news in a way that portrays the reality of an event or issue. At the Kansan, we take this responsibility seriously. But in regard to the photos used to illustrate the 16 th annual Big Eight Conference on Black Student Government, our coverage was irresponsible…

9. Ethical dilemma  By including photos that represented only four hours of a three-day event, we misrepresented the conference. But even worse, we perpetuated a stereotype.  The photos were of African-Americans dancing and singing. On the sports page that same day, five African- American athletes were pictured. Those were the only photos of African- Americans in that issue.  Dancing, singing and slam dunking: These are too often the only images of African-Americans that newspapers provide to readers. I or someone else in the newsroom should have realized before the photos were printed that we were perpetuating this stereotype of African-Americans.

10. Minorities in the news  Multicultural sensitivity involves not only the sources you use, but also the kinds of stories you choose.  Studies show women and minorities portrayed in biased or stereotypical fashion.

11. Minorities in the news  Minorities are often featured in stories about crime, but excluded as sources in general stories about lifestyles, the economy and other stories where experts are cited.

12. Minorities in the news Tavis Smiley, Cornel West: Poverty Not A Black Or Brown Issue But An American Catastrophe Huffington Post, 9/5 More than one-fourth of African Americans are living in poverty today. As devastating as that figure is, particularly for the 42 million Americans who identified as black in 2010, broadcaster Tavis Smiley and Princeton University professor emeritus Cornel West say there's an even grimmer statistic. "One out of two Americans, that's 150 million people... is either in or near poverty," Smiley told The Huffington Post. That figure is the crux of a book, "The Rich and the Rest of Us: A Poverty Manifesto," that Smiley co-authored with West earlier this year and a four-city "Poverty 2.0 Tour" on which the duo is set to embark next week. "The Rich and the Rest of Us: A Poverty Manifesto,""Poverty 2.0 Tour" Though both men have gained fame championing the civil rights of African Americans, they say the issue of poverty is one that transcends race.

13. Gender differences  Although inclusion of women on news pages and TV broadcasts has improved, some stereotypes remain. The old stereotypes of the apron-clad housewives has given way to new ones of Superwoman moms.

14. Gender differences Avoid using masculine pronouns. Say, “Everyone should eat a biscuit,” instead of, “Everyone should eat his own biscuit.” Avoid using masculine pronouns. Say, “Everyone should eat a biscuit,” instead of, “Everyone should eat his own biscuit.” Avoid words ending with man. Police officer instead of policeman; Firefighter instead of fireman. Avoid words ending with man. Police officer instead of policeman; Firefighter instead of fireman. Avoid stereotypes in illustrations and graphics. Not all quarterbacks are white. Not all basketball players are black. Not all single parents are women, etc. Avoid stereotypes in illustrations and graphics. Not all quarterbacks are white. Not all basketball players are black. Not all single parents are women, etc.

15. Gender differences Avoid calling groups of people men, unless they are all male. A congressional group should be called lawmakers or members of Congress, not Congressmen. Avoid calling groups of people men, unless they are all male. A congressional group should be called lawmakers or members of Congress, not Congressmen. Avoid referring to women by their first names in a story. This is usually patronizing. Avoid referring to women by their first names in a story. This is usually patronizing.

16. Gender differences Avoid describe women with adjectives that dwell on sexual attributes. Avoid describe women with adjectives that dwell on sexual attributes. Avoid phrases that carry an element of surprise such as “smart and dedicated woman.” Is it unusual that someone who is smart and dedicated is also a woman? Avoid phrases that carry an element of surprise such as “smart and dedicated woman.” Is it unusual that someone who is smart and dedicated is also a woman? Beware of approaching any story with the subconscious idea that it is more of a man’s story or a woman’s. Almost always we quote women in stories about child care. Why not men? A lack of child care is just as big a problem to them – or should be. Beware of approaching any story with the subconscious idea that it is more of a man’s story or a woman’s. Almost always we quote women in stories about child care. Why not men? A lack of child care is just as big a problem to them – or should be.

17. Special groups  Every group has some special needs and concerns about language.  A man who uses a wheelchair probably does not consider himself handicapped (derogatory term). However, he may have a disability that requires him to use a wheelchair.

18. Special groups  Ask the person you’re interviewing how they prefer to be addressed. When interviewing people with disabilities, do not speak louder unless that person has a hearing impairment. When interviewing people with disabilities, do not speak louder unless that person has a hearing impairment. Avoid overcompensating by writing about people with disabilities as though they were superhuman. Avoid overcompensating by writing about people with disabilities as though they were superhuman. Avoid using adjectives as nouns to describe a group of people with disabilities, such as the deaf or the retarded. Say, “people who are deaf,” or “people with mental retardation.” Avoid using adjectives as nouns to describe a group of people with disabilities, such as the deaf or the retarded. Say, “people who are deaf,” or “people with mental retardation.”

19. Aging  Make age a factor, not the the focus of a person’s accomplishments.  Readers can decide for themselves if a person’s accomplishments are surprising because of the person’s age.

20. AIDS  In the last 20 years, medical developments have improved the life span of people living with AIDS, but the disease still carries a stigma. It is a subject that still requires the reporter to use great sensitivity.  “You have to be empathetic. On the other hand, you have to be honest and true to the reader who may be hostile to the subject. You walk a fine line between not blaming and not whitewashing,” said Jacqui Banaszynski, a reporter who won the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for feature writing.

21. Sensitive questions How do you approach sensitive questions? How do you approach sensitive questions? “The only thing to do is set it in context,” Banaszynski said. “When I get to it, I ask as directly as I can: How many men did you sleep with? I don’t warn them that this is a hard question. I set that up in the ground rules. I say, ‘We’re going to talk about a lot of personal things, and a lot may be embarrassing. You don’t have to answer, but I’ll try to get you to answer.’ If you ask honestly and directly with no judgment in your voice so there is no shame involved, they will answer. If you are embarrassed, they will pick it up. I ask the question as matter-of-factly as I would about the weather.”