Commitment to Diversity
At a predominately white and female arts school (as a white female) it is EXTREMELY important for me to cover beyond what I have experienced. We cannot inform the community if we only cover some of that community.
Surveys
As coverage editor, I made casual virtual and print surveys that were conducted in English classes. The data from these surveys was used in our print issues, especially for our major cover stories. Therefore, it was especially important that we represented the school accurately and did not discount any portion of the population. Thus, I began to add demographic questions at the beginning of the survey that we could compare to pre established school data to ensure everyone was represented.
Diversity in Arts
Historically, in the art world, artists from other cultures have been overlooked. My school community itself makes an effort to combat this by highlighting their art in the multicultural show and through our Black Student Union's showcase and spirit week. Therefore, it is always ESSENTIAL for us to cover these events. Our BSU is amazing. It is our job to cover them objectively.
​
​
We also attempt to cover every art major equally. This has previously been a struggle since majors like visual arts don't perform, so it can be hard to cover, but we've made up for it this year by covering art galleries and the stories behind the art work.
Diversity in Student Opinion
Much of my art school has political opinions that are well... very similar to mine. However, it is crucial to represent all student opinions so that everyone can feel equally represented and informed. We write based on fact.
​
These are two sources I interviewed for my story about social media with WILDLY different political views. I don't agree with both perspectives, but if it's an accurate representation of students, we must write it. It's also important to remember that transcribing offensive quotes can make people who have had their oppression denied feel validated.
We also like to represent our diverse perspectives as an editorial board, taking time to vote yes or no on the original editorial topic we voted on.
