Last Updated: August 13, 1999
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Time
Out
Most reporters, photographers and editors of The Manhattan (Kan.) Mercury
do not agree with the premise that a news report is “fundamentally inaccurate”
if it fails to portray the diversity of the community. Rather, they see
it as “incomplete.”
They believe a more complete report will help credibility.
Staff members seemed to welcome the chance to sit down for discussion
of the issue. Several said it helped to refocus their thoughts in constructive
ways. Said one photographer, “It got me to thinking that when I’m out looking
for feature shots, I never cross into the south (minority) parts of town,
and I’m going to try to do that more often.”
At the same time, several staffers see a danger that such concerns may
be translated into quotas or dumbing down our standards. A better-quality
photo or story, they worried, might be set aside in preference to a lesser-quality
product in the interest of diversity. Generally, they seemed to agree that
in cases where the quality difference is modest, a substitution is acceptable,
and they agreed they should be on the lookout for good stories and pictures
portraying our community’s diversity.
In addition to more attention to racial and ethnic diversity, a common
theme was a need for greater attention to rural, low-income, religious
and “average” members of the community.
“The greatest benefit from this conversation is that it’s going to break
us out of our own molds,” a reporter concluded.
Seaton is editor-in-chief of The Manhattan (Kan.) Mercury.
