Race and Reporting
The news industry has been talking about diversity for decades, but that talk has not always been followed by action. Though the percentage of minorities in the U.S. population continues to climb, few newsrooms have a racial makeup that reflects the communities they cover. In <a href="https://niemanreports.org/race-and-reporting/">this Nieman Reports cover package</a>, reporters and editors discuss strategies for creating more inclusive newsrooms and how racially diverse staffs can improve coverage.
<em>Cover Photo by Gary Knight</em>
<em>Photo above: Michael Dwyer/Associated Press</em>
My objective as a visual storyteller is to connect with individuals and families on an intimate level, especially if this leads to long-term trusted relationships. When collaborators find a level of vulnerability that allows them to reveal unseen aspects about themselves, a certain power and authenticity manifests in the small, ephemeral moments.
I capture these moments to challenge pervasive tropes regarding the depiction of African-Americans, whether it is the characterization of black males as violent criminals or as deadbeat dads, or the description of black families and communities solely as dysfunctional and despondent.
Workaday moments of ordinary black life are often not considered newsworthy. But it is these moments that represent quiet acts of resistance, reclaiming narrative without the need for big gestures or artificial iconography. My aim is to show African-Americans as empowered agents in their own lives, whose humanity doesn’t need explanation or defense.
See more of Zun Lee's photography at www.zunlee.com
Read about strategies for creating inclusive newsrooms in our Race and Reporting cover package
I capture these moments to challenge pervasive tropes regarding the depiction of African-Americans, whether it is the characterization of black males as violent criminals or as deadbeat dads, or the description of black families and communities solely as dysfunctional and despondent.
Workaday moments of ordinary black life are often not considered newsworthy. But it is these moments that represent quiet acts of resistance, reclaiming narrative without the need for big gestures or artificial iconography. My aim is to show African-Americans as empowered agents in their own lives, whose humanity doesn’t need explanation or defense.
See more of Zun Lee's photography at www.zunlee.com
Read about strategies for creating inclusive newsrooms in our Race and Reporting cover package