Challenges in Diversity

     Retha Hill, Director of the New Media Innovation Lab at Cronkite School, shared strategies for recruiting minority students to journalism classes. Minority students need to know that the school paper belongs to them, too. She recommends approaching minority students directly and asking them to be on the staff. Sometimes that's all it takes.

     Another effective strategy is to talk to parents and tell them the value of the journalism curriculum. Among the selling points, she mentioned that journalism

• improves verbal skills
• helps students understand the world
• rounds out the student by taking them outside their comfort zones
• trains students to talk to people

Retha Hill explained the importance of diversity in a high school newsroom.

     Hill mentioned the "diversity code" for journalists. I found this link but am not sure if it's the one she referenced.

http://asne.org/key_initiatives/diversity/asne_diversity_history.aspx

     Working with Hill in this session was Gerald Jordan, an associate professor in the journalism department at the University of Arkansas. Jordan shared with teachers how technology can inspire diversity in journalism. He recommended linking a variety of blogs to the newspaper's website to show the diversity in the school population.

Gerald Jordan demonstrated how Facebook can inspire diversity.

Donna Owen
McIntosh High School
Peachtree City, Georgia