Inclusive Storytelling is Important, Especially Now in This Country

Why become a journalist when the news can be so disturbing to watch, especially within the current political climate of our country? Because telling inclusive stories is the gateway to more empathy and truth, especially in a country where lies and hate play a major role in public thought. 

Last semester I had the privilege of meeting journalist Simon Rios when he visited Wright. While talking about his work covering immigration enforcement in the Boston area Rios shared eye-opening words that showed me the importance of any type of journalism. Rios said, “A lot of people don’t like the fact that we tell stories of immigrants because for whatever reason they don’t want the attention there, they tend to look at the costs of immigration, the burden of immigration, and by telling stories and seeing the human face I think for listeners, for people who get those stories, it makes them sympathetic to people.” 

A crucial result of various journalism coverage or really any type of storytelling is building empathy with marginalized groups, that beyond the legal arguments politicians use to justify their so-called logic there are human beings who want to share in the promises of liberty, who want to be included.

As I grew older I met more people who would be personally affected by hatred and bigotry against immigrants and the LGBTQ community as just a couple examples. Even if stories are not our own or we don’t know people personally affected by certain political and social issues, journalism serves a key function of making us aware of the stories of diverse groups.

I realize that promoting diverse storytelling might raise some eyebrows. Inclusivity somehow in this country has become controversial, despite us being a nation of immigrants and diverse voices. I think of Bad Bunny’s recent SuperBowl Halftime Show and how some people were so outraged that he was going to perform in Spanish that they attempted to compete with a rival TPUSA halftime show, even though America has been speaking Spanish longer than English.

When inclusivity and journalism unite the result is a diverse narrative that captures the nuances in the human experience. As journalists it’s our duty to ensure that inclusive storytelling is a priority, that the reality of life and how that reality varies within different groups is accurately portrayed, not by forcing one specific agenda but rather listening to all sides of a story and constantly challenging assumptions.

Inclusivity is a priority for the Wright Times and that’s why we will continue to publish in English and Spanish, including having an entire page in Spanish and hopefully more in the future. I am proud that this semester we had our first person profile story where the primary interview was conducted entirely in Spanish. We understand the Wright community is filled with diverse cultures and opinions and we celebrate that and hope to increase the diversity of our coverage, even in a country where words like diversity have somehow become controversial.

While doing this we strive to remain objective and fair, minimizing harm and listening to the stories of everyday people. We are the voice of the students, so we cannot become siloed off from the campus community; but rather student journalism needs to be a constant two-way street of giving info to the community while also receiving feedback from various perspectives.  

So far we have 16 people part of our team this semester and I am so proud of the staff we are building and the eagerness displayed by my fellow student journalists to cover the Wright community. 

It’s never too late to get involved with the Wright Times so email me at kylechmielowskiwtn@gmail.com if you want to join us.

We value your feedback on what you think the Wright Times should cover or what we could do better, because inclusivity means input from multiple perspectives and cultures. Without us as a staff actively seeking to be curious and learn about diverse stories and without inclusion of feedback from the Wright community, inclusion will just be an idea and not a reality.  

Editor in Chief Kyle Chmielowski. Photo Credit: Johnathan Suarez.