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Karin Bromander

October 15th, 2019

How can journalists find more diverse sources? New Polis/LSE research project

1 comment | 2 shares

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes

Karin Bromander

October 15th, 2019

How can journalists find more diverse sources? New Polis/LSE research project

1 comment | 2 shares

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes

How do we tackle the lack of diversity in journalism? Not just the diversity of the journalists but the content they create?

Even though trends show more and more women working as reporters, newsrooms in both Sweden and the UK are very homogenous when it comes to ethnicity and socio-economic background.

Studies show people and stories portrayed in the media are far from representative of the population as a whole.

Though there are employment schemes aiming at diversifying newsrooms, these are bound to take time before showing a significant effect.

With a growing awareness of a lack of diversity in media content, what are today’s journalists doing to find a diverse group of sources and interviewees?

 

Tricks for Diversity

As a freelance journalist covering many fields and topics, I often find myself using every trick in the book to find a wide range of interviewees. With time often being scarce,

I understand the temptation in relying on your established network.

This made me interested in journalistic practice in finding a diverse group of sources and interviewees. No matter their own background, most journalists hopefully find it important to portray a diverse range of people. What practical methods do they use to make sure they do? Is this something being discussed in newsrooms?

Can Social Media Help?

I am also interested in what role social media might have in diversifying one’s network. At a time when many journalists are under constant pressure from lack of time and resources, a lot of networking needs to be done in front of one’s computer rather than out talking to people. Is it easier finding a diverse group of interviewees online rather than through classic journalistic groundwork?

During my fellowship at Polis, I will talk to journalists in different fields and positions, from both Sweden and the UK, about what methods they use to find sources and interviewees that fall outside the frame of who’s usually portrayed in the media, as well as outside the journalists’ own networks. My hope is to produce an article about the journalistic methods and tools behind creating a diverse content, aimed at journalists interested in developing their own practice.

If you have any views or evidence on this topic, please get in touch:

@bromander  |  k.bromander@lse.ac.uk

About the author

Karin Bromander

Swedish freelance journalist formerly in London for a Polis/LSE Newsroom Fellowship. Karin can be reached at bromanderk@gmail.com

Posted In: Featured | Research

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