On being Black and a journalist

 Can we talk about how journalism works? 

 

The role of the press is to be the watchdog of government. That’s why it’s protected in the Constitution. Reporting involves listening to and considering all perspectives. Our role is to tell the untold stories.  

 

My function, as a member of the press, is to inform related to perspective left out of other stories due to implicit bias. Far too often, voices are left out. This is not an intentional ploy of the gatekeepers of the news. Well, not always. Things are left out due to cultural limitations. Lost in the nuances of storytelling are the emotions and cultural context of Black people. 

 

When I taught as an adjunct instructor at the University of Missouri School of Journalism, I would often tell my students to find the story within the story. There are layers beyond the who, what when, where, how and why. I approach my work as a journalist in the same way I exegete a biblical text in sermon preparation. For me, it’s just as important to address how what happens makes people feel.  

 

I consider this the primary failure of journalism. As a Black journalist, it’s important that I delve deep into how Black people feel beyond what happens in the news. 

 

Locally, there are two recent stories that highlight this concern. Both involve questions related to perception. In both cases, most news outlets approached these stories with a critical gaze on the facts. This often happens in the coverage of government news.  

 

The investigations ordered by members of the Durham County Board of County Commissions is easily surmised as a story involving internal conflict among board members. Pierce Freelon being selected by members of the Durham City Council to join their ranks appears as a simple procedural decision.  

 

Journalist are taught to focus on the facts. Should we move on after two investigations determined Durham County Manager Wendell Davis did not write a letter alleging racial bias to influence an election? It’s seductive to validate Durham County Commissioner Heidi Carter for words perceived to be rooted in bias. The lack of a clear verdict of racism feels like vindication.  

 

Journalists are easily lured into moving rapidly to the next story. Freelon’s selection to the City Council feels like done news. The “just the facts ma’am” approach minimizes the integrity of the other voices in the room. How people feel matters. What people are saying is relevant to the story. The best of journalism takes the next steps in uncovering the story within the story. 

 

What that means for me in practical terms involves what Black people are saying.  Yes, how Black people feel is relevant in the telling of these stories. The local press often gets it wrong by failing to consider how the voices that play out in our storytelling shapes communal assumptions. 

 

Screaming Black Lives Matter means affirming Black opinions and perspectives matter. The challenge for all of us – folks who tell the stories of our community – is to be bold enough to reach beyond assumptions. The best stories are written after we think we got it right. We get it wrong when we leave out other sides of the story. 

 

My role is intentional. My goal is not to retell the already told story. My focus is on Black life in Durham and beyond. Some days, it will be storytelling after intense investigative reporting. Other days, it will be commentary involving something in the news, a book, a movie, a television show, a conversation or Donald Trump.  

 

In all that I do, I bring the essence of my complete self.  

 

I am a Black man living in America. 

 

Enough said.