I am challenged by the space that sits between intent and impact. While my goal might be to nurture a positive environment of inclusivity, the impact may be quite different. A message that might be clear to one person may not be clear to another, simply because everyone has different modes for understanding information due to their unique background and upbringing. I have learned that how I deliver and absorb information is often different from other people. At times, it is almost as if we are speaking different languages, hence the saying “lost in translation.” To be an effective communicator, I must learn and apply the method that suits the individual or group that I am trying to reach.

The Critical Factor of Thought Diversity

I take great care in ensuring that the coverage and storytelling of my teams are built on a foundation of diversity, equity and inclusion. Journalists striving to produce fair and accurate news can only do so by being reflective of the communities they serve. As the host of Latino Voices WTTW and the former two-time president of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ), I lead initiatives focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion in newsrooms and news coverage.

To be an effective communicator, I must learn and apply the method that suits the individual or group that I am trying to reach.

News has come under high scrutiny as of late due to accusations of “fake news” by former President Donald Trump. Of course, coming from the leader of a country named as the gold standard for equal opportunity and democracy, this arouses a sense of mistrust in the news media. The thing is, he’s right. But not in the ways that he thinks or portrays. He disputes any media that dares to oppose him.

The real fake news happens due to a lack of communication from outlets that do not have the capacity or simply refuse to do the work of researching and including the communities they are serving. Improper fact-checking causes sweeping assumptions and allegations, and thus, misinformation. Diversity of thought in newsrooms is crucial. When journalists write with unconscious bias, which we all have, and there is no one in the room to provide a different perspective, that newsroom is more likely to release harmful, offensive and downright untrue information because they have limited exposure to the very subject they’re reporting.

Lack of access to equitable fact-based information has serious consequences. This is why the fight for diversity, equity and inclusion should live at every organization’s core. Systems built by various perspectives bridge disconnection and correct systemic inefficiency. What makes systems work is their consideration of multiple voices. Let’s put it this way: if a system is developed by the very people it is designed to work for, it is more likely to not only include their voices but represent them.

What makes systems work is their consideration of multiple voices. Let’s put it this way: if a system is developed by the very people it is designed to work for, it is more likely to not only include their voices but represent them.

I don’t subscribe to the notion that journalists are objective. Journalists are human beings and, as such, are biased. Understanding my unconscious biases encourages me to ensure the people I work with are different from me. Inclusion does not just tend to physical identifiers such as race and gender. It also connotes differences in opinion, education, sexual orientation and life experience. Ultimately, diversity in the newsroom fuels the process of concept to execution in the focus of stories we choose, the voices we hear and the faces we see.

Dangerous Consequences

A single story is what happens when communication systems crumble and fail in front of us. The dominant narrative creates the status quo, and thus everything and everyone outside of it falls to the wayside, victim to the whims of those in power. The savior complex is a well-known trope that explains this phenomenon. This occurs when people with privilege in a position of power attempt to help a community at a socioeconomic disadvantage through charity work, which can ultimately result in more conflict and turmoil. This is what makes misinformation and unconscious bias so dangerous, despite what may have been positive intentions.

Photo by Charan Ingram

Neglect for these communication systems on the local level perpetuates issues of misinformation and disinformation that we increasingly see interfering in our lives on a national scale.

An Infodemic

Hyper-individualized content fueled by marketing initiatives online has created bottle-necked flows of information, creating a digital chasm of misinformation. In 2020, that divide only grew deeper. Studies show that the digital divide is disproportionately affecting low-income Latinos and other communities of color, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. This affects access to information, remote learning and telemedicine, and people’s ability to apply for jobs and work remotely. People’s livelihoods are at stake.

The Local Connection

At the end of the day, if our local news system is broken, our systems at large will remain broken because there is no flow of reliable communication. At WTTW News, we take a bottom-up approach: the community is our pulse. They decide which stories merit coverage and analysis. It will take action from local, state, and federal governments to close the digital divide. If this problem isn’t solved, we run the risk of a generation of students from marginalized communities falling behind. People need trustworthy local news now more than ever.

Contract budgets make it difficult for news operations to cover communities in-depth and with proper analysis. These gaps in coverage then get filled with misinformation by factions masquerading as news outlets. But a systemic change in communication means meeting the public half-way. Early education should focus on teaching the value and necessity of fact-based information.

When misinformation seems to have become the norm, it’s no surprise that the media is criticized for its elitism in dictating what is and isn’t newsworthy, thereby actively silencing voices that do not fit its criteria. The pursuit of truth begins by listening to and including the public to understand what matters most so that it is never “us” against “them,” so that we are the people, and the people are us.