Most major news stories in the United States in 2020 have disproportionately affected Black people. From COVID-19 to voter suppression to police violence against unarmed citizens — and the sustained prominence of the Black Lives Matter movement in response — Black communities are central to local and national stories.
Yet Black people are too often viewed as an audience segment, or worse, a coverage subject. Understanding and engaging with Black America is fundamental to the practice of good journalism in the United States.
To this end, founders and editors of digital-first publications whose coverage proportionally centers on Black communities will join us for the opening Featured Session at ONA20. The group, representing national and local outlets, as well as for-profit and nonprofit newsrooms, will discuss how they're approaching their reporting leading into the U.S. presidential election and beyond.
This session is designed for:
- All journalists, editors and executives covering the U.S. 2020 presidential election
- People trying to better understand COVID-19 as a coverage area
- Journalists of color interested in how recent digital-first publications got their start
- Those looking to improve racial equity in newsroom culture; the panelists will share how they approach culture from their point of view
Speakers
Todd Johnson
Chief Content Officer, theGrio.com
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Glenn Burkins
Publisher, QCity Metro
@glennburkins • Visit Website
Tiffany Walden
Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief, The TRiiBE
Waldens_Block • Visit Website
Wendi C. Thomas
Editor and publisher, MLK50: Justice Through Journalism
wendi_c_thomas
Patrice Peck
Freelance, Freelance
speakpatrice • Visit Website
