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What a panel put on by the @walrusmagazine hosted by @RSJnow instructor @karmicangel with @waub @ShreeParadkar @Pacinthe re issues of systemic racism in Canadian newsrooms--highlights captured in this thread...
. @ShreeParadkar notes how newsrooms have ignored issues of racism for years, but "democratization of journalism" means those outside mainstream media are covering the stories and from capitalistic perspective newsrooms want to develop "new audience for failing industry" ...
. @Pacinthe talks about how she was "crushed" about universal experience of racism shared by those she heard from in response to her @walrusmagazine article https://bit.ly/3i2oSD7 ...
. @waub talking about his letter to young Indigenous journalists and how they need to be supported in industry that many can't thrive in because of issues of racism--said he's not looking for apologies, but more support for these young journalists https://bit.ly/2EsdrXM ...
. @ShreeParadkar says change isn't coming fast enough, but she is seeing a change in the last 4-5 years in newsrooms, some people really stepping up and trying to educate themselves, but if you have privilege you need to use your voice to make change, not look for absolution...
. @ShreeParadkar talks about issue of people asking for her to determine if something is racist or how to draw up curriculum for a course when that's a full-time job, panelists talk about pressure of being the only racialized person/one of the few in the room...
. @Pacinthe says they shouldn't be required to be the diversity experts, and that when you push back against the norms too much you end up out of the newsroom--would be great if they could just do the work of journalism...
. @ShreeParadkar says she hopes the conversation doesn't end, it's an uphill battle, thinks a lot of media want to appear on right side of history, but getting brown and Black faces in the newsroom is just step 1, it's about what assignments they get, who is given authority...
. @waub says we need to understand that journalism is operating under capitalist system and Indigenous/racialized journalists need to protect their communities/sources/connections, they're not there to exploit their communities to make money...
Audience member asks how sense of newsworthiness has changed-- @karmicangel says she "knows her shit" and now she'll fight more for story ideas that she knows are good ideas when she gets push back, says that's also product of age...
. @ShreeParadkar says it's important to believe Black and Indigenous stories of trauma--just because you haven't shared their experience doesn't mean the stories aren't true @waub talks about how social media opened up avenue for Indigenous/grassroots viewpoints...
. @Pacinthe says it's never been more possible to go out and do your own journalism, not as reliant on old model, but she wishes racialized journos didn't have to choose, why either or? There is established audience in mainstream media, wishes work could be done there...
. @ShreeParadkar says "please come" need more racialized faces in newsrooms, says it's "white supremacists worse nightmare"-note from me-that's very true but way it was said made both me and @karmicangel lol. And that's it. Great stuff I'll be sure to share with my students.
