By Jakob Emerson

Reporting on the rise of white supremacy — without lending a hand to the hate

Racially-charged. Racially-motivated. Racially-tinged. These terms are often used by reporters from a plethora of news organizations to describe situations that in any other circumstance, would simply be characterized as racist.

Take for example Iowa Representative Steve King, who in an interview with The New York Times this past January said, “White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive?”

The following day, CNN political analyst and Vanity Fair contributor David Drucker tweeted “@SteveKingIA said he ‘initiated’ a convo today w/ @SteveScalise to inform them he would speak on floor to address his racially-tinged remarks.”

Though this tweet lays out the beginning stages of the House Republicans’ eventual move to strip King from the Judiciary and Agriculture Committees four days after his initial remarks, other House representatives were quick to jump on Drucker’s reporting on the issue.

“You spelled ‘racist’ wrong,” tweeted back New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democratic darling with a flair for dramatic tweet-storms.

She continued, “At this point those who use the terms ‘racially-tinged’ or ‘racially-charged’ to describe white supremacy should be prepared to explain why they chose to employ those terms instead of ‘racist’/ ‘racism.’ If the answer is their own discomfort, they’re protecting the wrong people.”

Another reaction to King’s remarks came from NBC News, which issued a statement to their reporters saying “Be careful to avoid characterizing [King’s] remarks as racist. It is okay to attribute to others as in ‘what many are calling racist’ or something like that.”

Statements such as this, from one of the top news media organizations in the country, beg the question: When is it okay for journalists to call someone or their actions racist?

Murrey Jacobson, National Affairs Editor at PBS NewsHour, pondered that question when reporting on the massacre of 51 people at a mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand this March.

“On the one hand, we’re not there to cover the viewer’s eyes from the realities of the news, and people need to understand what’s going on for real. On the other hand, we certainly don’t want to quote from the hate speech. That doesn’t seem necessary for our piece.”

The 28-year-old Australian man responsible for the shooting published a 74-page manifesto before the attack titled “The Great Replacement,” where he employed anti-immigrant rhetoric and described President Donald Trump as “a symbol of renewed white identity and common purpose.” One week later, the Chief Censor of New Zealand, David Shanks, declared it illegal to possess or distribute the manifesto anywhere in the country.

New Zealand isn’t the only place where white supremacist and anti-immigrant attacks are on the rise. According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, far-right attacks in the United States between 2007 and 2011 were less than five per year. In 2017 alone, that number had grown to 31 attacks.

“We wanted to make sure viewers understood this man’s history, and that he had written this not so long before the shootings,” said Jacobson. “We were very careful that day about what kind of unintentional platform we could give to the manifesto.”

That unintentional platform is exactly what groups like the New Jersey European Heritage Association have learned to manipulate.

Earlier this year, the white supremacy group took to Twitter to announce their planned rally on the campus of Princeton University. News organizations from across New Jersey, the university and nearby Philadelphia reported on the upcoming march, and a counter-coalition quickly formed.

On the day of the planned rally in mid-January, hundreds of protesters organized on campus, only to find a handful of representatives from the organization that had purportedly planned the event.

Later that day, the NJEH announced the rally had all been a hoax, followed by a message on their Twitter page stating, “Our organization has received an unprecedented amount of publicity, media coverage, and website traffic. Hundreds of people across the state are eagerly awaiting to join our ranks.”

The New Jersey group, whose creed is stated to be “securing the existence of our people and a future for White children,” had exploited the media for their own gain. With these actions by white supremacist groups becoming more common, the role of the reporter has expanded. Not only does the racial intention of a certain group or individual have to be interpreted by the reporter, but the consequential results of one’s own reporting must be considered as well.

Regarding the line between thorough reporting and the spreading of hate speech, Jacobson said, “You can argue whether we say it long enough, explicitly enough or frequently enough, but we try to find a balance between saying it clearly for the viewer and not putting too much emphasis on repeating the message unintentionally.”

With American journalists almost guaranteed to face this issue in their career, it has become imperative for the news industry to adopt new standards and guidelines when reporting on racist acts.

And that is just what the Associated Press did. Long hailed as the news industry’s bible for any and all editorial rules and regulations when it comes to reporting, the AP Stylebook was amended this year to advise journalists against describing events as “racially-charged” or “racially-motivated.” Under the AP’s new guidelines, if an event can be interpreted by the reporter or editor as racist, then it should simply be called racist.

“Generally, if it’s clear — and not every case is clear — if you use the words that are considered to be racist or race-based, we generally do call that what it is,” said Jacobson when describing his team’s reporting on the neo-Nazi march in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017. “If it’s understood to be racist words or words that are full of hate — words that clearly denote white supremacy — then we should say that.”

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by Stacey Sheridan

As journalists, one of our main duties is to “give voice to the voiceless” – the entities, both alive and inanimate, that cannot defend themselves after being taken advantage of by those in power. The Society of Professional Journalists even says journalists should “give voice to the voiceless” in its code of ethics. The notion of giving that voice is so ingrained in journalism that the phrase has become something of an old chestnut. Award-winning public radio journalist Stephanie Kuo tweeted a picture of a hand holding a microphone out to an open-mouthed opossum with the facetious caption, “I went into journalism to tell important stories and give a voice to the voiceless.”

Overused the expression may be, it is still a noble and important endeavor to hold power accountable and provide a platform to the disenfranchised, the overlooked, the ignored to tell their tales. “I think we are the only opportunity for people who don’t have a voice or feel like they have nowhere to turn to get help,” says broadcast investigative reporter Stephanie Wade of RTV6 Indianapolis. “At least once a week, I’m working on a story that gets help for viewers.”

At the time of our interview, a story of Wade’s exemplifying giving voice to the voiceless was a few hours away from airing. “An apartment complex was withholding a woman’s security deposit and she never stepped foot in the apartment,” Wade recounts.

Wade contacted the building’s management company and was told that the company would never withhold a prospective tenant’s security deposit. A few hours later, the company emailed Wade to admit that, after further review, they did in fact keep the woman’s deposit. The woman’s money was subsequently returned to her. “If I were to not step in to shine a light on wrongdoing, this woman would never have her money back,” says Wade. Grateful viewers frequently thank Wade for exposing wrongdoing.

Some of the biggest changes in history were made in response to journalists publishing the stories of the voiceless. Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring” detailed the harmful effects of pollution and pesticides. Her discoveries, whether directly or indirectly, led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency. “EPA today may be said without exaggeration to be the extended shadow of Rachel Carson,” wrote Jack Lewis in an article for the EPA Journal.

Upton Sinclair’s “The Jungle” prompted the government to create the Food and Drug Administration. More contemporary examples include the Boston Globe’s investigation into the Catholic Church uncovered widespread instances of child sexual abuse at the hands of priests and the Church’s efforts to cover it up. As a result, people all over the Earth came forward with their own personal accounts of being abused by priests. The investigation took the world by storm. The Church was forced to at least acknowledge the problem publicly.

It is hard not to identify with those who have suffered or been done an injustice. Through interviews and research, journalists become hyper-aware of the damage – whether emotional, physical or financial – inflicted on others. However, journalists need to take “giving voice to the voiceless” with a grain of salt. That creed, when taken quite literally, has its pitfalls. Holding too steadfastly to the belief, journalists run the risk of losing objectivity and veering into advocacy, subsequently compromising their journalistic integrity.

“It’s totally hard,” Wade says, to avoid the trap of advocacy and remain objective while interviewing the voiceless. “I do get passionate and we’re going to work for our viewer, but there has to be objectivity.” To make sure her own feelings aren’t coloring her reporting, Wade has several managers read through her scripts.

When reporting, Wade is mindful of fairness, another journalistic rule of thumb.  She gives all parties equal opportunity to share their account of the events that prompted her to investigate. “It’s gravely important to give both sides equal airtime and represent the situation fully, as close to the truth as possible.”

Rolling Stone has become something of a poster child for the pitfalls of overly identifying with those not in power, as well as the necessity of fairness, objectivity and detail substantiation in reporting. In 2014, the magazine published the infamous 9,000-word article, “A Rape on Campus,” detailing the brutal gang rape of a woman at a fraternity party at the University of Virginia.  The article vilified the fraternity, the university and its associate dean of students. The problem? The rape never happened. Swept up in the so-called victim’s story, the journalist, the fact checkers and the editors all failed to verify the story, despite it having many inconsistencies. Nor did the publication attempt to interview the accused attackers, whose even existence is questionable. Rolling Stone retracted the article, but damage had already been inflicted on the school’s and the fraternity’s reputations. Faced with defamation lawsuits, the magazine ended up paying the fraternity $1.65 million in damages. The associate dean received $3 million. The magazine’s credibility took a paralyzing hit.

Two of the biggest journalistic guidelines – giving voice to the voiceless and fairness and objectivity in reporting – are a bit at odds with each other. The former has the inherent bias that institutionalized clout is wrong, while the underdog is right. As with Rolling Stone, that is not always the truth. Yet being fair and objective does not outrank the need to publicize injustices and demand answerability. Nor does being fair and objective mean that reporters must be as unemotional as robots.

“If I’m interviewing a mother who just lost your teenage son to gun violence, you can feel sad for them,” Wade says. “I think that shows your humanity.” If journalists are stoic and impassive, people will feel uncomfortable in their presence and unlikely to confide in them. Without the confidence of subjects, the pool of stories to tell dwindles.

“If you’re doing a confrontational interview and you’re holding someone accountable, feel free to be strong, you know, and represent who you are representing and fight for them,” Wade also says. Journalists should not throw them softball interview questions.

Whether writing for broadcast or print, the tone of your reporting must always be responsible and appropriate. Fairness in reporting means telling both sides of a story, even when natural inclinations push you more toward the side of the victimized. By all means, give a voice to the voiceless and hold power accountable, but never forsake fairness. The two guidelines work best as checks and balances to each other. Using them as such will not only protect a reporter’s credibility but add complexity and depth to their stories.

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By Marissa De La Cerda

 Jenn Schanz, reporter for WXYZ Detroit, discusses the importance of social media in the future of journalism.

The future of journalism is, naturally, something all journalists worry about. Where is it headed? How can we continue to increase engagement with our audiences? More importantly, how can we continue to tell stories with the evolution of technology?

“It’s impossible to know where the future of journalism is going,” says DePaul alumna and WXYZ reporter Jenn Schanz. “So, it’s hard to always be prepared for it.”But not being prepared for it does not mean journalists can’t evolve with it. To some, the advent of social media was frightening, but to a particularly younger generation of journalists, social media looked like a promising future. Though social media can’t replace traditional reporting, it can help promote stories and make it more accessible to those who are unfamiliar with the industry.

“Things like Twitter can help promote the story or serve as a teaser to a story,” says Schanz. By posting videos or behind the scenes photos, people can not only see what goes into the making of a story but would also be enticed to see the finished product. Additionally, Twitter can serve as a way of getting news tips or finding sources.

Using Twitter to tweet facts or details about a story, Schanz says, is something that is also new to journalism. Some reporters will post threads that begin with a tweet stating where the reporter is and what story or beat they’re covering. The following tweets will consist of developing information and important facts those following the thread will need to remain informed. There’s still some confusion, however, when it comes to deciding what to share on social media and what to save for the story (either print or broadcast). Sometimes when people follow threads on news stories or breaking news, they won’t feel the need to go and visit the actual web page where the story is posted or watch the newscast because they believe all the information they need is in the thread. Because of this, it is advised to link the story in the thread.

Additionally, Schanz says social media can be tricky to maneuver in journalism because of the difference between personal and professional accounts. Some reporters have strictly professional accounts, whereas others have a mix of both personal and professional where they’ll post their stories, small tidbits of their personal lives or personal opinions. Though many people enjoy seeing the opinions and personal lives of reporters, to others this might imply a bias in their reporting or distract from the severity of their news stories.

To Schanz, the simple solution was to use Twitter professionally and outlets like Facebook or Instagram for personal use. But while she has private Instagram and Facebook accounts, she finds that even then her private information still gets out. Because of this, she advises future journalists to monitor what they post because “even the private stuff can become public at some point.”

Nonetheless, Schanz still believes the future of journalism involves social media and that a lot of the times, reporters learn about these new methods as they arise. When I asked her if her time at DePaul properly prepared her for her job now, she says that her professors, including DePaul’s Center for Journalism Integrity and Excellence directors Carol Marin and Don Moseley, gave her all the tools necessary to feel prepared for the industry, but that there are some things you will only learn on the job — especially as social media continues to evolve and become more advanced.

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by Emily McTavish

CBS Correspondent Sees Loss of Citizenry in Digital Age

Jan Crawford still considers herself a print reporter even though she’s been on television for more than 20 years. In the mornings, the CBS News Chief Legal Correspondent said she reads the print editions of the Wall Street Journal and Washington Post before checking other media outlets online.

Although she has a presence online, Crawford’s concerns for the future of journalism are the digital landscape and social media.

“I think [social media] corroded the level of discourse and made viewers and readers, as a result, more accustomed to getting sound bites, which I also think is dangerous,” Crawford said.

To Crawford, today’s issues with online platforms and aggregators mirror what happened when newspapers started putting content online. A level of news judgement by professionals is lost among the vast array of content and clickbait.

“Whether you’re reading the Chicago Tribune or you’re on Channel 7, you can click on whatever you want to click on,” Crawford said. “You’re not really as informed, I think, as people might have once been.”

She added she often wants to end a piece on the Supreme Court, her primary beat, by telling viewers to read more in a newspaper or find more information. By the nature of television, there is little time for Crawford to dive into the details.

However, social media does have a place in journalism, Crawford said, but a level of skepticism is necessary when following tweets or posts. Like any other reporting, she said, there needs to be verification before sharing information. Her advice would be to use Twitter as a guide to hear from people in real time at breaking news events.

In Washington D.C., where Crawford has lived for the past 25 years, there is a frenzy to track posts and a specific profile. She said the media hasfollowed and overplayed President Donald Trump’s tweets and sound bites–a pitfall Crawford hasn’t seen journalists address since the 2016 election. Reporting on the president, she said, has been “grossly deficient.”

“As reporters, we have an obligation to not allow how someone may be using the media to change what our essential mission is as reporters,” Crawford said.

That mission, according to Crawford, is to gather information and present it to the public in the most truthful way. Being disciplined and factual are key to accomplishing this, but it’s not just in political reporting but everywhere, she said.

Crawford started at the Chicago Tribune in 1987 covering legal affairs, and in 1993, she added to her legal expertise by graduating from the University of Chicago Law School. To this day, she is still a member of the New York Bar.

At the Tribune, Crawford gained the paper’s highest recognition for a 13-part series she reported from Alabama. She traveled across her home state examining what changed and what didn’t in the 30 years since the Civil Rights movement.

In a story filed from Greenberg, Alabama, Crawford found a rural African American community where three churches had been set ablaze. She wrote: “in the heart of this rural area, the pleasant facade of racial harmony abruptly gives way to fresh memories of charred timbers and acrid ruins.”

Crawford said she also believes in the journalistic tenet of fairness, like seeking out the many facets of Alabama’s racial divide.

Fairness to each political party is also what Crawford credits for her success in landing exclusive interviews–most recently with U.S. Attorney General William Barr.

During her career, Crawford has had exclusives with Chief Justice John Roberts, his first network television interview, and retired Justices John Paul Stevens and Sandra Day O’Connor. But, her interviews don’t stop in Washington.

“If only I covered the court for the network, it wouldn’t be a full-time job,” Crawford said. “…There’s nothing I like more than a story about somebody staying true to themselves and persevering. I love those types of stories.”

Crawford’s reporting is centered around people and issues. It doesn’t matter if the story is about Washington elites or more recently, about a 98-year-old World War II veteran on the anniversary of D-Day, she does not insert herself into the story. Advice she would give to new journalists and a reminder to those already in the business.

“I would encourage and beg any reporter that’s just starting out to not make the story about yourself,” Crawford said. “You just have to keep to what the facts are and be a reporter, be a journalist. It’s not about you.”

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by Varsha Kadamandla

CNN medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta speaks on the principles of journalism.

Sixty-two percent of Americans believe the news in printed papers, television and radio is biased, according to a 2018 Gallup Poll.  It’s quite evident that the media is struggling to stay afloat as trust levels between the media and the people continue to plunge.

The day after the 2016 presidential election, Kyle Pope, of the Columbia Journalism Review, wrote the media’s failure to understand and accurately cover Donald Trump’s rise to the highest office was the “anti-Watergate” moment. Responsible reporting is most needed in journalism, and we as reporters need to uphold the integrity of the profession.

For a medical and health reporter like CNN’s Chief Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta, evidence-based journalism is constantly in mind when reporting a story. In 2017, Gupta reported from the front lines of a breakdown in the medical infrastructure of Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria devastated the island. Gupta, who’s been a medical health reporter for nearly 19 years, understands the importance of gathering facts, data and evidence in reporting a story.

“Your reporting needs to be objective, fact-based. That’s responsible,” said Gupta.

But with responsibility comes accountability, and Gupta knows that first hand. One of the fundamental principles or “something journalists always swear by” is not to let their personal opinions influence a story. It is an established fact in the profession that there cannot be room for bias.

“Ultimately you have to interpret things and convey certain messages to the viewer or the reader or the listener,” Gupta said, “You have to make sure that your own personal bias does not enter into that.”

Reporting as objectively as possible is the key to responsible reporting, according to Gupta.  Despite being accurate with the facts, the data and the sources, we live in a world where “fake news” and “alternative facts” are constantly making headlines and the truth can be difficult to find. How do we, as media, fight those labels?

One of the first things to do as media when we are called out as a fake news institutionis to address the root cause of fake news. Having that conversation with that person or group of people helps journalists dig deep into the problem. In the words of my own dad, “Rectification is always better than justification.” Though he means it on a very general level, it certainly does apply in such situations.

“If they are right and they say that you got something wrong, then you need to fix it and apologize,” Gupta said. That acceptance reminds people of the very purpose of “journalism,” which is accountability in governing bodies and in the journalists themselves.

But what if it is the other way around? What if people are wrong and are only trying to undermine you?

“When you did not make a mistake and everything you’ve reported is accurate and yet people are just set on demeaning your work by calling it fake news, then nothing works better than ignoring it.” Gupta said.

“You have to actually ignore it because otherwise you’ll be paralyzed. You’re probably saying something they don’t want to hear, and they prefer if you don’t continue to report,” Gupta said.

In the midst of all this, the nature of journalism is changing too. For example, a journalist gains credibility when they have expertise in a particular subject area like politics, crime or sports.

If there are areas within journalism that one is very passionate about, then make it known, Gupta advised for reporters starting their career. In reality, you don’t become an expert in a day or two, it takes time. Gupta also said that if there is a beat or a specific area that you really want to cover, then spend time becoming the expert at that.

“This is one of the best jobs in the world. And the reason is that we don’t have to be beholden to anyone,” Gupta said.

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By Rosbelis Quinonez

The perks and struggles of a national correspondent

Gabe Gutierrez does not stop. In a typical day, he wakes up in New York to be on NBC’s “TODAY” in the morning and then rushes to a plane to Austin, Texas in pursuing to his next story—all of this while he is preparing his next investigativepiece.

The NBC National Correspondent travels an average of 300 days a year.

“It’s a crazy lifestyle,” he admitted. “The first couple of years were a struggle in terms of getting used to the travel, getting used to the demands of the job. But I kept working hard on it.”

Gutierrez has reported for “TODAY,” “NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt” and MSNBC since 2012. This passionate reporter has been on the scene of natural disasters, mass shootings, protests, elections and other events in the United States and abroad.

Recently, Gutierrez fulfilled a long-awaited desire to report from Venezuela. The South American country has been facing political turmoil, leading to a severe lack of medicine, food crises, blackouts and gas shortages.

“I had seen from afar the crisis in Venezuela for several years, and I sometimes felt that it hadn’t gotten enough attention in the U.S. as it should,” Gutierrez said. The journalist spent weeks in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela. “It was a very eye-opening experience because I expected it to be difficult to report.”

This year, the World Press Freedom Index placed Venezuela in the position 148 out of 180 for press freedom. The country fell five positions in contrast to the previous year. But Gutierrez–the son of Cuban immigrants– was prepared for the challenges he would face in Venezuela. He traveled to Havana multiple times to cover the U.S.’s renewal of diplomatic ties with Cuba in 2015.

“Logistically, it’s difficult to operate in Cuba in terms of access [to an Internet connection], and they’re very skeptical when it comes to outside media. Venezuela is the same way,” Gutierrez said. “It’s difficult to get any government official to talk to you.”

From Caracas, Gutierrez reported on the hospital crisis, national blackouts, the arrival of humanitarian aid to Venezuela and many other aspects of the situation in the country. Although Gutierrez’s team did not have access to President Nicolas Maduro or his administration officials, the NBC journalist talked with Maduro’s supporters and member of the country’s militia.

Gutierrez has also covered other fascinating events. He was among the first reporters on the scene at the Orlando shooting in 2016, the largest U.S. mass shooting at the time. He’s also covered the 2016 Republican primaries the same year. For NBC, Gutierrez went to Mexico to cover the recapture of the drug lord, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman and has reported on terrorist attacks in Paris and Brussels.

After his experiences in countries with such strong censorship, it is not odd that the award-winning journalist is not so concerned about the state of journalism in the United States. Gutierrez believes there is still a huge interest in journalism despite the accusations about fake news against the media.

“It does challenge us, journalists, to make sure that we get all our facts right and we double efforts to be as accurate and fair as possible in what we cover,” he said. “Regardless of the rhetoric being used, I think that journalists fulfill a vital role.”

That role of informing the public is both demanding and fascinating. Gutierrez knows that very well.

The rigor of his job has brought high costs to his health. In November of 2017, he struggled during a live shot for the NBC Nightly News. While in Alabama, he was reporting on Sen. Roy Moore’s campaign during the state’s special election and the accusations against the candidate for sexual misconduct. Before tossing back to Anchor Lester Holt, Gutierrez stumbled over his words.

“For several months I had been on the road and I was just kinda going nonstop,” Gutierrez said.  “It was a simple memory flub but also a wake-up call to take care of myself. Getting sleep, making sure I work-out, making sure I take some time off to decompress.”

He said the episode came after a long period of covering hurricanes; Hurricane Harvey in Texas, Hurricane Irma in Florida and Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. The suffering this storm caused struck Gutierrez.

“It was just a really desperate time and a very challenging story to cover,” the member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists said.

It is during the coverage of those issues that hit Latino communities when Gutierrez takes advantage of his Cuban heritage to boost his reporting. Several times he has covered the crisis at the Southern border, where thousands of migrants from Central American countries have come to ask for asylum.

“It’s not only that I speak Spanish, but also being of Cuban descent, knowing the Hispanic culture and just being able to get people to open up and talk to you by speaking in Spanish,” Gutierrez said. “It’s very helpful to have Latino journalists in network news.”

Bilingualism and biculturalism could be valuable assets for journalists while covering the upcoming presidential elections. Gutierrez emphasized that immigration will continue to be a major topic in 2020.

“There’s a raging debate over who’s to blame for the crisis at the border and nobody seems to know what to do down there,” he said. “It’s just really sad that there can’t be some sort of agreement on either immigration or on how to increase border security. It just seems now it’s just turned into this political football.”

Gutierrez graduated from Northwestern University with degrees from both the Medill School of Journalism and the political science department. He got his first job as a morning reporter for WBOY in Clarksburg, West Virginia. From where he worked his way up to NBC News. Gutierrez said the key to his success has been focusing on his writing.

“Editors will always need good writers,” he said.

Finally, Gutierrez had two pieces of advice for new journalists: Be fearless and persistent. Those two characteristics can get young reporters their next job or an interview with a very busy NBC national correspondent.

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