A group of people stand outside. Several people belong to an encampment where people experiencing homelessness live. One woman Alice Delbosque has her back to the camera. She is wearing a sweatshirt of her organization called Angel Hearts Rescue, which provides aid to pets belonging to those experiencing homelessness.
Flatland community reporter Vicky Diaz-Camacho interviewed several folks who are experiencing homelessness in an encampment along the Missouri River. (File)

KC Journalists Discuss How to Tell More Inclusive Stories

January 18, 2023  |  Vicky Diaz-Camacho  |  2 min read

Belonging and inclusion are key tenets of journalism. 

These tenets shape who a journalist includes in their stories and helps identify who is missing from the conversation. The need for media that is representative of all people, in all communities and from all walks of life has become a topic of discussion across the news industry.

Recent conversations have highlighted that need for representation, which directly affects the journalists from marginalized communities who do the work. Just two years ago, journalists of color in the Midwest aired frustrations about racism in their newsroom. They outlined barriers to advancement, experiences with microaggressions and the desire for change. 

On the National Day of Racial Healing, the Health Forward Foundation invited three Kansas City journalists to discuss diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in their respective newsrooms. 

“To mark the National Day of Racial Healing, we convened local journalists to discuss how storytellers can tell more representative, inclusive, and healing stories about the diverse communities that make up our region,” according to the Health Forward Foundation. 

On the panel were Mili Mansaray from The Beacon, Luke Martin from KCUR 89.3 and Vicky Diaz-Camacho from Flatland at Kansas City PBS. Moderating the discussion was Claire Bishop from American Public Square at Jewell. All four organizations are members of the KC Media Collective.

Listen to a podcast of that conversation.

Vicky Diaz-Camacho covers community affairs for Kansas City PBS.

Reading these stories is free, but telling them is not. Start your monthly gift now to support Flatland’s community-focused reporting.

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