How the Courier-Post is making progress in newsroom diversity – Courier Post

Diversity and inclusion are a key part of what makes our newsroom part of the communities it serves. Change starts at home, and here at the Courier-Post we continue to make change so we can grow.

We are sharing our 2022 diversity census, which shows the makeup of our newsroom. Our priority now, and in the future, is to focus on diversity and inclusion in the newsroom and how we cover our communities. Last year I made a pledge to do better with diversity and inclusion in our newsroom. I acknowledged that our newsroom didnt look like our communities and that we would do better. Im pleased to report that we made progress. We hired Isabel Koyama, Community Storytelling reporter, to write stories about the people and places in South Jersey.

We will continue to cover community-focused issues including education, healthcare and business. We will address the issues in our communities by talking to the people that live and work there. We will remain transparent and engage with the communities we cover and hear from different voices with different views on a wide range of topics.

As the leader of my newsrooms, it is my responsibility to ensure we cover stories fairly and with an open mind. I lead by example and open up communication to the staff and talk about the issues inside and outside of our newsrooms.

Providing diversity and inclusion training to our staff has also been an important part of our commitment. All staff members, including myself, have mandatory inclusion and diversity training and access to other related training tools throughout the year.

We have also transitioned our police and courts coverage away from daily crime coverage to more of a community-based look at the impact of crime on a community. When crime occurs in any neighborhood, we talk to those that are impacted and look at solutions. I am part of a company-wide committee to raise the level of crime reporting across all news sites in Gannett. We've seen positive progress in how we cover crime and will continue to address those areas that need improvement.

A diverse and inclusive workforce helps us better connect and serve you, our readers and our community partners. As we continue to move forward, we recognize that we still have work to do. It will take time, but we are committed to succeeding.

Audrey Harvin is the Executive Editor of the Courier-Post, Burlington County Times and Daily Journal. Contact her at aharvin@gannett.com.

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How the Courier-Post is making progress in newsroom diversity - Courier Post