New tool for seeking diverse journalism sources

February 02, 2018 Editor Journalism advicediversityjournalism

Freelance writers and journalists looking for ways to bring diversity into their reporting have a new tool at their disposal.

Request A Woman Scientist helps journalists find scientific expertise from women for everything from interviews and panel discussions to workshops and conference keynotes.

The site was created by 500 Women Scientists, a grassroots organization based in the U.S. that's working to build community and advocate for science, women, and minorities. The Request a Women Scientist project aims to close the pervasive gender gap in the media and on conference panels -- research shows that men's and women's voices are not equally represented when it comes to expert sources quoted in news stories.

Request A Woman Scientist allows users to narrow down searches by location, field of expertise, and level of education. It also allows searchers to seek out women scientists from other underrepresented groups

The website also suggests a number of additional resources to help journalists diversity their reporting, including the website Diverse Sources -- a database of science, health and environment experts from underrepresented backgrounds -- and Women Also Know Stuff, which promotes and publicizes the work of women political scientists.

Andree Lau on increasing diversity in reporting and the newsroom

January 17, 2018 Editor Advice advicejournalismnashwriting advice

by Hannah Daley[caption id="attachment_14309" align="alignright" width="290"] Huffington Post editor-in-chief Andree Lau speaks at NASH. Photo by Hannah Daley[/caption]As newsrooms across the country strive for greater diversity, HuffPost Canada editor-in-chief Andree Lau says there’s a need for a much more nuanced approach than simply…

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Crafting the “Reactive Story” — Reworking News Stories into Web Features

October 03, 2017 Editor Advice advicepitching

by Steven ThrendyleIf you’re as ADD as most writers I know, you probably spend a bit of your day on social media and get a significant amount of your news from what your friends are posting or tweeting. And, if you’re in story-hunting mode, (and you should always be in story hunting mode), you might think of a fresh angle and, even better, have…