The Baxter Bulletin, Mountain Home, Ark.

DIVERSITY INDEX BEST OVERALL ACHIEVEMENT
Also winner 10,001 to 25,000 CIRCULATION  [Chart]

Kandra Branam
Managing Editor
The Baxter Bulletin, Mountain Home, Ark.
 
Please describe your approach to increasing diversity in your newsroom. I use several recruiting sources to capture the most diverse candidate pool possible. For instance, I post openings on a number of job boards and Web sites, and in doing so include those targeting diverse job seekers. I’ve found that maintaining diversity is a result of assembling the largest possible pool of qualified candidates and going after the best.
 
What is the toughest obstacle to success and how have you worked to overcome it? Recruiting is by far the hardest. Our community is not diverse, which not only limits the pool of diverse candidates but also turns off for some who otherwise might be interested in working at the newspaper. The best answer I’ve found is to cast the net far and wide and to buckle down for what is sometimes a long search.
 
What are the benefits/paybacks of greater diversity? The life experiences of those of diverse backgrounds contribute to our daily work and broaden the scope and depth of our day-to-day coverage of the community. In our daily planning and presentation meetings, I encourage all staffers to engage in lively and open conversation about concepts and story angles. These discussions, which welcome individual opinions, yield some of our best ideas.
 
How does greater diversity in your newsroom affect content? Those of us with different backgrounds, obviously, bring diversity to our coverage. Rather than WHAT we cover, our expanded appreciation for cultures and lifestyles, and our life experiences, impact HOW we cover what’s happening in our community.
 
Please cite one example of a story that was impacted by diversity in your newsroom. We covered four sexual harassment lawsuits filed against a local doctor and the countersuits filed by the physician against his former employees. Over a four- or five-day period, our morning budget meetings included discussions about the doctor’s Lebanese heritage and whether or not his culture was an issue. The attorney representing the women referred to the doctor’s background in the counterclaim: “In America, a professional, friendly work-related atmosphere…” We debated the issue of his culture and background, bringing to the table our own experiences and observations, to help guide development of our coverage.
 
What advice do you have for editors seeking to improve diversity in their newsrooms? Reward diversity among your staff, be creative in recruiting efforts (and be prepared to wait to find the best possible candidate) and encourage open discussions as part of the fabric of your daily coverage.
 

Back to top