Diversity in journalism: Are we there yet, already?

BY RAHMA KHAN

The journalism industry is currently undergoing a wave of change, thanks to the #blacklivesmatter protests in 2020 that shed light on biases and discrimination plaguing industries worldwide. Finally, a place has been created for inclusivity and diversity that allows POC writers to ride waves of success as they voice their opinions and stories for the world to hear. The need to check off the “only native English writers can apply” box is eliminated, as we transition into an era of equal opportunities and representation.

This shift toward inclusivity helped me to go from writing short-form generic content for a few dollars, to landing assignments from reputed publications at competitive rates. Though I have been freelance writing for many years, publications now reach out for my perspective on global matters or to commission stories about my people and culture. I finally feel accepted in the writing community. This transition has been sudden, and while the massive support from publications and the writers’ community has been very encouraging, there are gaps that still need to be filled for diverse storytelling to thrive in the writing industry.

People of colour are often expected to share stories on topics of diaspora, trauma, or migration. While it is imperative to highlight these stories to create more awareness or attract attention to the issues faced by POC around the world, setting up this expectation takes the limelight away from stories of achievement, success, and breaking stereotypes within marginalized communities.

The easy success formula of selling stories of trauma has become a roadblock for POC writers wanting to shed light on breakthrough accomplishments. For example, my story of struggles while traveling on the fourth weakest passport in the world became a massive hit and was reshared thousands of times across social media, but my personal essay on how I broke a cultural stereotype by learning cycling at the age of thirty was rejected by a handful of publications for not being relevant to their audiences. This is one area where the writing industry fails to provide equal representation to diverse voices.

The writing industry also lacks POC representation in characters that look and speak like them. Research from the Cooperative Children’s Book Center from the University of Wisconsin revealed that fifty percent of fictional characters in children’s books are White, while the remaining are a mix of African, Hispanic, and Asian. However, all the characters, irrespective of their racial backgrounds, are predominantly written by White writers. This often results in wrongly informed representation of the cultures and lifestyles of marginalized communities who are already trying to shed the stereotypes associated with them.

Publications can support POC writers in numerous ways. Giving someone the opportunity to write characters based on their own cultural norms adds realistic nuances to those characters, rather than replicating stereotypes related to a particular community.

In addition to featuring POC characters and stories, publications can also build ecosystems that seamlessly integrate diverse voices and stories. One way to achieve this is to give writers from underrepresented communities a space in the editorial panels. If the people who work in publishing are not a diverse group, then how can diverse voices truly be represented? Due to similarities in personal experience and culture, it is naturally easier for POC editors to resonate with and comprehend arguments being addressed in a diverse story than it would be for an editor from a different racial group.

Building a dedicated column/space for marginalized voices can help publications divert more attention toward stories that might otherwise only cater to a Western audience that forms a majority. I have faced rejections many times for my cultural story pitches on the grounds of them not resonating with their targeted American/British audience of the publishers. While irrelevance is a genuine reason for rejection, if a POC story of trauma can be relevant, I fail to see the irrelevance of a success story of a POC. This takes away from a publication’s claims of inclusion and diversity, making them meaningless. On the contrary, a dedicated space for diverse stories in a publication is a win-win for both—the publication to earn inclusivity points, and the writers to share their stories with a wider audience and demographic.

The gradual emergence of POC writers on the journalism scene has resulted in the creation of many communities run by POC writers for POC writers. These communities are dedicated to providing continuous support to young and emerging writers entering the competitive world of journalism.

Think In Ink is a BIPOC resource website run by experienced and published authors, poets, and journalists from marginalized communities. They send out monthly newsletters with calls for pitches from unpublished and veteran POC writers alike. They also run workshops and share how-to guides on freelance journalism, covering topics like how to craft pitches, reach out to editors, and draft stories.

Writers of Color is a Twitter account that publishes callouts for pitches and shares opportunities for freelance writing gigs for BIPOC writers. I have had the opportunity to work with both of these resourceful communities. During this time, I have witnessed writers going from no bylines to writing for some of the most reputed publications.

Inclusivity in the journalism industry is a change to be reckoned with, but it is still an uphill climb. The opportunities are plenty, but more support from publications is needed. As publications tap into the potential of POC writers, they will help those writers gain confidence and hone skills, while providing readers with access to underrepresented stories. Being a part of this change, I was able to find my voice as a writer. If a few more roadblocks are eliminated, it will pave the way to success for the diverse writers’ community.

Rahma Khan is a travel writer and independent journalist from Pakistan. Creating awareness for the rights of BIPOC, Rahma uses her travel blog thesaneadventurer. com to share her stories of discrimination and other first-hand experiences with BIPOC travelers. Her work is published in Independent UK, CondeNast Traveller, Matador Network, & Open Canada among others.