Diversity in Discourse Media

An important lesson in life is how we can make people feel included. Inclusion is important because no one wants to feel like they’re being left out. No individual wants to be treated differently because some part of them isn’t significant to others.

Two weeks ago, in my journalism fundamentals course, we learned about diversity in media. We had many guests who helped us understand why diversity in media is so important.

Out of all of the amazing guests we talked to, I would say the women from Discourse Media (a digital journalism organization) had the biggest impression on me. They’re so passionate about the company they work for and the diversity it provides.

The piece of the discussion which made an impression on me the most wasn’t directly about Discourse Media, but it was something Anita Li spoke about in her TEDx Talk.

She talked about how when she was growing up, she would watch the news and realized no one looked like her. There were no equal representations of races, and this was and still is a problem.

While this wasn’t a comment about Discourse Media, I think it reflects well on the organization.

If Anita Li talked about how she wants to see diversity in media, I would say she would only work for a company who makes sure there is diversity, not only in the workplace and newsroom, but also in the stories they release.

Before the global class guests were properly introduced, we were put into groups, all of us had to read one of the articles from the uploaded selection online. Then we were asked to explain them to our groups. I chose to read Francesca Fionda and Emma Jones’ research pieces for Discourse Media.

Two of the pieces I read talked about the issues work camps cause. Across Canada, there are many tiny communities who are affected by work camps. The research talked about the hidden impacts these camps cause.

The pieces also taught me one of the biggest safety hazards with the camps, is no one is keeping track of them.

There is hardly any data on the camps, which is unsafe for both workers and the small-town communities. The article mentioned “beyond ensuring safe evacuations, accurate population counts impact everything from health care to drinking water and police services.”

Not only are the camps complicating the lives of locals, they are additionally being built on broken promises. Discourse Media’s research showed one camp operator promised jobs and business for residents, as well as $100,000 in donations to local charities.

The reason I mentioned the work Discourse Media creates, is to show they write about things other journalism outlets would try to avoid or ignore. I hadn’t heard much about the work camps until I read these pieces from Discourse.

Another thing to importantly note is the organization employs a diverse staff, full of different races, a mix of female and male voices, and ages. Which you can see here.

In my opinion, Discourse Media is a great step into the future, and what the future needs is more diversity all around, especially when it comes to journalism organizations.

To learn more about Discourse Media, and read more pieces from them click here.