Fall 2021 Mandatory Staff Training

Fall 2021 Mandatory Staff Training

Why am I getting trained again? ● ●

There’s more to the FreeP than AP Style and our style guidelines – this will cover the nuances Agenda ○ General Announcements ○ Understanding the FreeP: Editorial Board & Board of Directors Breakdown ○ AP Style/Reporting Common Mistakes ○ Bias Training & Journalistic Sensitivity ○ Social Media as a Journalist

Announcements ●

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Join our Facebook groups! ○ dfpress.co/fbalum ○ dfpress.co/fbstaff ○ There will be important updates and announcements throughout the semester in both!

Take our Staff Demographic Survey ○ https://forms.gle/B6Q1gKdcomunJ4Ea9

Editorial Board & Board of Directors

Editorial Board ●

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“Top 2”: Editor-in-Chief ○ Final say on all editorial decisions, face of the paper, President of Board of Directors “Top 2”: Managing Editor ○ Makes final editorial decisions in absence of EIC, manages staff, helps preside over budget meetings Campus News Editor ○ Budgets campus news stories, delegates to associates and writers, copy editing after associate and before Top 2 ○ 2-3 Associate Editors City News Editor ○ Budgets city news stories, delegates to associates and writers, copy editing after associate and before Top 2 ○ 2-3 Associate Editors Features Editor ○ 4 Associate Editors ○ Budgets stories across four features sections, delegates to associates, edits before Top 2

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Sports Editor ○ Budgets sports news stories, delegates to associates and writers, copy editing after associate and before Top 2 ○ 2-3 Associate Editors Opinion Editor ○ Pitch editorial ideas, preside over editorial meetings, write editorials daily, edit columns ○ 1 Associate Editor Photo Editor ○ Assigns photos to stories, edits photos, writes captions for every photo, curates photo galleries ○ 3-4 Associate Editors Podcast Editor ○ Works with podcast teams to research and write scripts, Layout/Graphic Editor ○ Creates graphics for print and web daily, and lays out the paper on Wednesday nights for print or digital print Blog/Lifestyle Editor ○ Edits all content from writers before Top 2 and delegates to associate

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Board of Directors ● This is what makes FreeP independent! ● Meet every week on Sunday 3pm-5pm ● Responsibilities ○ Appoint editorial boards ○ Financial oversight of the paper with printing as priority ○ Updating guidelines/contracts ● Consists of former section editors, managing editors and EICs

Board of Directors ●

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Acts as additional support and guidance for editors Ensures all editors and writers are upholding the standards set out in our Code of Ethics and Standards Documents

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Searches for grants and awards for FreeP writers to apply to

Public Relations Chair

Standards Chair ○

Ensures equity and inclusion on staff via training and additional education

Grants & Awards Chair ○

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Helps staff with forward-thinking career goals

Diversity & Inclusion Chair ○

Responsible for recruiting and training staff across sections and leadership levels

Ensures that the FreeP is catering to the needs of the audience; strategizes audience engagement

Career Development Chair ○

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Manages alumni engagement and the archiving of all FreeP records

Audience & Engagement Chair ○

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Gathers ads and coordinates fundraising efforts for the FreeP

Alumni & Archival Chair ○

Board contact with accountants, ensures collection of dues and ad revenue, weekly finance report at board meetings

Staff Development Chair ○

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Board contact with legal advisors, take minutes at meeting, organize Drive and other resources

Recruitment & Training Chair ○

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Always held by current editor-in-chief, liaison between editorial board and board of directors, non-voting member

Treasurer ○

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Face of Board of Directors, constant communication with President/EIC, keeps track of all moving parts

Secretary/Legal Chair ○

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President ○

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Advertising & Fundraising Chair

Chair & Vice Chair ○

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Coordinates FreeP functions and handles overall reputation management

Web Chair ○

Manages the FreeP website design, content and changes

FreeP AP Style Guide

What is AP Style?

AP Style is a writing guide for spelling, grammar and punctuation.

The goal behind AP Style is to keep journalistic writing concise and standard across all news organizations.

Abbreviations and Titles Abbreviations ➔ Don’t ever abbreviate state names. The AP Stylebook now requires state names to be fully spelled out after mentioning a city as well. ◆ Example: “Samantha Gross grew up surrounded by corn in Schererville, Indiana.” ➔ Abbreviate “Governor” to “Gov.,” (when referencing the U.S. House of Representatives) “Representative” to “Rep.” and “Senator” to “Sen.” when preceding a name. ◆ If it follows the name, it is lower case and not abbreviated Titles ➔ Never use them. ◆ Mr. Ms. Mrs. Mz… are not used in AP style. It’s always the first and last name and that’s it.

United States vs. U.S. United States ➔ Always use “United States” instead of “America.” That guy is running for a position within the executive branch of the United States’ government, not the American government. ◆ America? What’s that? South America? I don’t know. ◆ “United States” is a noun. “U.S.” is an adjective. ● Ex: They work for the U.S. government. (adjective) ● Ex: She was a student in the United States. (noun)

Believing, Wondering, Thinking, Feeling, etc. ➔ ➔

Birdman might believe that he can fly, but can we really get inside of his head? Nope.

So instead, we’re going to say: “Birdman said he believed he could fly.”

Same goes for any internal thought process/feeling. ◆ They said they felt/believed/wondered/thought it.

BU Terms ➔

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When you are identifying a college within Boston University on first reference, be sure to include the full name of the school. On second reference and afterward, use any pre-existing abbreviations. ◆ Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences → SAR ◆ Questrom School of Business → Questrom ● If someone graduated from BU prior to the Questrom age, it is fine to say a graduate of the School of Management (SMG on second reference). ◆ Wheelock College of Education and Human Development → Wheelock Capitalize words like “University” or “City” when referring to the administrations of i.e.

Boston University, the City of Boston. Do not capitalize when referring to a general campus or population.

Capitalize “Fall” and “Spring” when referring to official semesters. Do not capitalize when referring to general or sports seasons.

BU Terms The StuVis ➔ StuVi II is “33 Harry Agganis Way” on first reference and “StuVi II” on second. ➔ StuVi I is “10 Buick St.” on first reference and “StuVi I” on second.

Dates ➔

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Use the day of the week if it’s still the same day or within the same week you are writing the article. If you are using a date though, it should be written with the proper abbreviation for the month and then the number of the month only. ◆ Example: ● The stay-at-home order went into effect March 23. ● Classes started Aug. 2.

Don’t say the day of the week if you’re using the exact date.

Never use “st” or “rd” after the number. It should just be the number Month abbreviations: ◆ Jan. Feb. March April May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. If you’re just referring to a month, you spell out the entire month.

Dates Dates in a Sentence ➔ Don’t start a sentence with a date/time/anything that is secondary to the “WHAT HAPPENED” portion of the story. ◆ DON’T: “On Wednesday, Rovner bought a frappe from UBurger.” ◆ DO: “Rovner bought a frappe from UBurger on Wednesday.”

Punctuation Em Dash ➔ Em dashes ( — ) should always be used with spaces on each side. ◆ DON’T: “Sam recommends consuming caffeine in its purest form—a cup of dark roast coffee.” ◆ DO: “Sam recommends consuming caffeine in its purest form — a cup of dark roast coffee.” ➔ Make sure that your em dash is the correct length. On a Mac, the correct length is created by using the following combo: alt-shift-[dash]. ➔ Em Dashes are never used in quotes.

Ellipsis ➔ Treat it like a three-letter word and put a space on both side ◆ “ I really enjoyed the event … and I wish more students were there.”

Punctuation Oxford Comma ➔ Don’t use it, capisce? The AP Stylebook forbids the Oxford comma (sorry). ➔ Example: ◆ DON’T: “Michael Fassbender and Sekar Krisnauli are beautiful, talented, and wonderful.” ◆ DO: “Michael Fassbender and Sekar Krisnauli are beautiful, talented and wonderful.” ➔ Semicolons ◆ Don’t use them.

Punctuation ➔

Hyphens ◆ Hyphenate words when they are modifying a noun. ● DO: “That was an in-person class last semester.” ● DON’T: “ She attended class in person.” ◆ Don’t hyphenate “-ly words.” ● DO: “It was a highly competitive competition.” ● DON’T: “It was a highly-competitive competition.”

Numbers Numbers ➔ Spell out numbers under 10, use numerical figures for 10 and above. ◆ The same applies to ordinal numbers — first, second, etc. are spelled out until 10th and above. ➔ Always use numerical figures for: percentages, time, money (unless it’s the first word of a sentence for percentages or money). ◆ Ex: “The test score raised Chloe’s grade from a 92 percent to a 95 percent.” ◆ Ex: “I woke up at 5 a.m.” (a.m. and p.m. are always lowercase) ◆ Ex: “I paid $96.75 for the leather boots.” ◆ Ex: “They donated $1.5 million to the organization.”

Plurality in descriptive words Plurality in Descriptive Words ➔ We run toward something, not towards it. “Towards” is the English word. ➔ I have an issue in regard to that email you sent out, not in regards to it. ➔ And so on.

Said ➔

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You don’t “say that” something. You just “say” it. ◆ DO: “Lucas said he loved reading the FreeP style guide.” ◆ DON’T: “Lucas said that he loved reading the FreeP style guide.”

Sometimes there are exceptions to this, of course, but stick to this as much as possible (without making the sentence sound incredibly awkward).

Sources and Attributions Sources and Attributions ➔ There are certain pieces of information that you must get every time you interview someone. ◆ “Official” sources: full/correctly spelled name, age, job description/title, pronouns ◆ Residents: full/correctly spelled name, age, residence, job title (if applicable), pronouns ◆ Students: full/correctly spelled name, year (freshman/first-year graduate student/etc.), college within BU (or other school when applicable), pronouns ● Always say “a junior in the College of Communication,” not “COM ‘17” ● Use the phrase “doctoral student” instead of “Ph.D. student” ➔ Use the phrase “More than 4? Said before.” If there are more than 4 words identifying the person in question, “said” comes before the name. If there are 4 or less words, “said” comes after. ➔ Avoid anonymous sources!

Said vs. According to ➔

“Said” vs. “According to” ◆ “Said” is for human beings, while “according to” is for fact sheets, data, etc.

(Sometimes we break this rule. You can say “according to [person],” but never say a secondary source “said.” ● You should only use “said” when referring to a human being. Using “exclaimed” or “murmured” leads to opinionated writing, which is not appropriate for journalism. ● Also, only use “said” if someone spoke the words out loud (via phone call or in person). If you are quoting an email that someone sent you, write “wrote in an email” after the quote.

Bias Training & Journalistic Sensitivity

Importance of this workshop The lack of diversity in newsrooms is an age old problem. Racial & ethnic minorities make up almost 40% of the US population and only less than 20% of newsroom staff. While this number translates across so many industries, it is particularly alarming in the journalism industry because this is a profession that was designed to serve the public. The public includes those racial and ethnic minorities.

It is our responsibility as journalists to cover important controversial issues and provide “equitable coverage.” How do we fall short when reporting on communities of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, low-income families...etc? Why do we fall short? Race plays a defining role in a person’s life trajectory, experiences and outcomes. Speaking openly about racial bias/inequity and its deep roots in our history, culture and institutions is long overdue. The industry is still learning. Newsrooms lack diversity and the problem cannot be fixed overnight. We will never figure it out if we don’t talk about it.

“This system of racialization—which routinely confers advantage and disadvantage based on skin color and other characteristics—must be clearly understood. However, when race enters our public conversations about these important national issues, the dialogue is too often dehumanizing and racially charged. Language matters and we need more tools to move our race conversations forward in more accurate, fair and productive ways.”

Implicit Bias The tendency or preference for people like ourselves.

Attitudes that unconsciously affect our decisions and actions. ●

How does this play into reporting? We reach out to sources who reflect our own identities, which results in a lack of diverse opinion and a lack of media representation for other identities.

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Why is this a problem? Institutions are composed of individuals whose biases are replicated, which in turn produces systemic inequities.

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How do we “interrupt” implicit bias? By adding steps to the decision-making process that thoughtfully consider and address racial impacts. By explicitly talking about race.

Ask yourself: Are my sources similar in dimension to me? Are they similar in dimension to each other? What POV’s are missing? How can I be more inclusive?

Dimensions: gender, sexuality, nationality, native language, religion, socioeconomic background, race/ethnicity, age, citizenship status

What is tokenism?

Tokenism is including someone in a group for the sake of sounding or appearing diverse. ●

Difference between informing people about a specific topic and event versus acting like you just discovered it.

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Don’t cover a unique event or aspect of a community just for the sake of covering it.

Provide context and relevant sourcing.

There are so many new and interesting & newsworthy pitches Do your research!!

Just because a community or holiday is new TO YOU doesn’t mean it’s newsworthy. Don’t only cover diverse voices in regard to holidays that have existed for hundreds of years.

White Gaze Journalism

Journalism that views the world through the perspective of people whose identities are considered “standard” or “neutral” by society: white, cis, heterosexual, upper middle class, etc. It isn’t just about race. A person with these identities possesses privilege that others don’t. White gaze journalism reports from this position of privilege.

Sports example of White Gaze Journalism Pat Ferruci: How Does The Language Of Sports Journalism Revel Racial Biases?

** All journalists, even POC or heterosexual or cis journalists, can make these mistakes. White gaze journalism is a structural problem, which means that journalists have historically been taught to report through the lens of privilege **

Journalistic Sensitivity Journalistic sensitivity is journalism that focuses on empathy and minimizing harm when covering marginalized communities. Journalism’s other function is to hold the powerful accountable — that type of journalism is more aggressive.

What stories need to be told? How can you go about telling these stories effectively? Who are the best people to interview? What are the best questions to ask?

When asking yourself these questions: Use empathy! If I was being interviewed about this touchy subject … what would I want to be asked? What would make me comfortable?

When do we mention race & ethnicity? ● When it is the reason a person is acting a certain way ● When someone attributes the way they feel to their race/ethnicity ● Biographical and announcement stories that involve significant, groundbreaking or historic events. ● For suspects sought by the police or missing person cases using police or other credible, detailed descriptions. Such descriptions apply for all races. ● When reporting a demonstration or disturbance involving race or such issues as civil rights or slavery.

Be mindful of your language Example: following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, some media outlets described residents who fled New Orleans as “refugees”. Refugees connotes armed or political conflict, tension and violence when this was not the case at all

Example: words like “disadvantaged” “high-risk” and “inner-city” can have negative connotations. Make sure you are accurately describing people and their situations.

Words and phrases that are common vernacular in some cultures can be offensive & have negative connotations in others

Criminal Justice Reporting ● ● ●

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Don’t take police reports at face value. Question everyone. Diversify your sources.

Avoid sensational headlines that dehumanize and exploit racial stereotypes. “Black on Black” crime is just as much of a phenomenon as “white on white” crime.

Identify people as those who have done something, not as a person who is defined by what they have done. Use “formerly incarcerated person” instead of “ex-felon” and “person with a criminal record” instead of “returning citizen” “Don’t make assumptions about people who live in a high crime area. People with criminal records can have as valid and important a perspective on crime and the criminal justice system as representatives of law enforcement or other community residents.” raceforward.org Examples of great CJ coverage: Colorlines.com & The Marshall Project “Good reporting on the system should explore the experience of all people involved in the system — including victims, defendants, prisoners, guards and police officers.” crimereport.org

Immigrants & Immigration Reform ● Report from a multiracial perspective. Most Latinos in the U.S. are not immigrants, and immigrants come to the U.S. from every country in the world. ● Examine the ways immigration issues intersect with systems and institutions across society, such as child welfare and local Law enforcement. ● Use illegal only to refer to an action, not a person: illegal immigration, but not illegal immigrant. Do not use the terms illegal alien, an illegal, illegals or undocumented.

Disability Reporting ● ●

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Only include a source’s disability if it is relevant to the story If a source’s disability is relevant to the story, ask them for their preferred description of their disability, which includes whether they prefer person-first or identity-first language Don’t use made-up words such as “handicapable” or “diversability” unless they are directly quoted or referring to a movement/organization If someone is a wheelchair user, do not say they are “bound” or “confined” to their wheelchair — wheelchairs allow independent mobility Be mindful of using words such as “special,” “abnormality,” “impairment” and “disorder” when describing the nature of someone’s disability For more information: National Center on Disability and Journalism style guide

Key Issues: “Obamacare,” health disparities, radicalized medical treatment, maternal health, HIV & AIDS ● Report on health care from a systemic perspective. “the costs associated with health care are a leading Contributor to financial instability, and the effects are more pronounced among groups who have relatively low savings or access to health insurance.” ● Always include the role that factors like stress, environment and lack of access to mental health care have on health issues within a community of color ● Investigate the history of discriminatory experiences people of color have had with medial care providers, including difficulties with language barriers, leading to racial disparities in health outcomes and a level of distrust towards the health care system ● When discussing health care issues faced by people of color, it is important to note that the disparities are not isolated to a particular period of one’s life, these disparities exist as early as prenatal care and continue throughout life. ● Be inclusive in health care reporting — do not equate anatomy and gender. For example, if you’re reporting on abortion or pregnancy, cisgender women are not the only people affected.

Instead say people who can be pregnant or pregnant people.

Health Reporting

from raceforward.org

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Never assume someone’s gender or pronouns — always ask for your source’s pronouns Always use a transgender person's chosen name Move beyond the coming out narrative and avoid focusing on medical issues Be cautious when bringing in experts who are non-transgender to talk about transgender people Instead of sexual preference, use “sexual orientation.” Instead of “sex change” or “pre/post operative” use “transition.” Instead of “biologically/genetically male/female” use “assigned male/female at birth.”

You don’t need to include someone’s gender or sexuality unless it is integral to the story.

Never put quotation marks around descriptions such as family, parents, mothers, or fathers when describing families with LGBTQ parents. Never use quotation marks around a transgender person’s name or the pronouns that reflect their identity Be mindful and inclusive with your language.

For more information: Glossary and additional information

LGBTQ+ Coverage

Constantly ask yourself: What are we missing?

Journalism is greatly enhanced when people with different backgrounds and perspectives are included in news coverage.

“All reasonable efforts to utilize diversity and inclusion strategies to produce coverage that represents all of the communities we serve are paramount for our democracy.” - Virgil Smith

Diversity Style Guide Race Reporting Guide from Race Forward Reporting Hidden Stories Bias Busters: Cultural Competence Guides Awareness in Reporting: Reporting on Race Awareness in Reporting: Reporting on Religion If you find additional resources, or have any questions/comments/concerns regarding diversity & inclusion at The Daily Free Press please reach out.

Additional Resources

cedmonds@bu.edu

Social Media Usage As a Member of the Daily Free Press

How Social Media Can Benefit Journalists

Using Social Media to Expand and Understand Your Reach ● ●

Share your articles, photos, etc. with a larger audience Use platform analytics to examine the reach of your work

Using Social Media to Find Sources and Stories ●

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Find stories by monitoring trending topics and accounts of key figures/groups around BU and Boston Find and engage with sources for stories

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Create a professional profile Keep content short and sweet Include photos and/or videos alongside written content when possible Use relevant hashtags (e.g. #mapoli or #breaking) Don’t limit yourself to Twitter

Digital Media Guidelines at the Daily Free Press

Ethics ●

SPJ Code of Ethics ○ ○ ○ ○

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Seek truth and report it Minimize harm Act independently Be accountable and transparent

These principles apply to both reporting and online activity

Impartiality ● ●

Stay unbiased and impartial When sharing your FreeP articles or other work, do not express subjective opinions regarding the article

OK

NOT OK

“Check out my new article, where I covered Elizabeth Warren’s NH primary event for The Daily Free Press, at the link below!”

“Check out my new article, where I covered Elizabeth Warren’s NH primary event.

I really wish I had covered Sanders instead – Warren wasn’t impressive.”

Identification ● ●

When you are reporting for the FreeP or sharing your content online, you must identify yourself as a journalist Identifying yourself as a journalist is an expectation within professional journalism

Online Interaction ● ●

Engage with readers but exercise caution in doing so, especially with those who are critical Refer to your editors for help if you are unsure if or how you should respond to criticism of your work

Sharing Information ● ●

Be careful when sharing information online, especially from sources that have not been verified by The Daily Free Press Be sure to share information from a variety of viewpoints to avoid the appearance of bias or favoritism

What You Represent ● ●

Remember that you always represent the FreeP Think through what you share and remember that while accounts may be set to private, you should assume that all information is permanently available online

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Feel free to share your thoughts on social media – it is your right to do so Remember that your role as a journalist is to stay impartial and objective When used responsibly and proactively, social media can benefit you as a journalist for promoting your work and finding new sources of information to report on