NOT EVERYTHING works out as planned. I planned to write last week's column on Friday and send it to the editors for Monday's paper. Though I was visiting relatives in tiny mountain towns in northern Italy, I thought it wouldn't be a problem since I telecommute. Then, the Internet in the entire region went out, and it wouldn't be fixed until Monday. None of the villagers seemed to mind. Imagine!
So here I am, a week later.
Similarly, goals with the best intentions have a funny way of going unrealized. Two weeks ago, The Cavalier Daily's new editors printed their goals for the year. They were admirable and thoughtful goals, including breaking more news, becoming a more transparent organization and expanding coverage areas "that might otherwise go unnoticed."
At the top of their list was diversity of staff and coverage. A fantastic goal, especially when looking at the picture of the five smiling faces of the leadership for the 117th staff: four men, one woman, all white.
The editors say they want to make diversity more than a buzzword. I asked Editor-in-Chief Michael Slaven to expand on the ideas in the editorial.
"As 'diversity' is understood here at U.Va., it often connotes racial diversity first, but also implies diversity of gender, religious perspectives, socioeconomic backgrounds, sexual orientations, etc." he wrote in an e-mail. Please stop and re-read that, because too often diversity is simply linked to skin color. Newspapers need a more sophisticated understanding of diversity than that.
"Despite an open-door recruitment policy, right now The Cavalier Daily's staff does not very well reflect the demographics of the student body, which threatens our credibility as a newspaper that is supposed to serve the entire community," he said. "Furthermore, we have in the past received input from non-white students and faulty that our coverage does not prominently feature items of importance to minority communities."
Diversity would help the paper's coverage of the community and give that community more confidence in the paper. "A more diverse staff better understands the issues and cultural contexts in a multicultural community," he said.
Slaven admitted the staff was struggling with how to achieve their desired levels of diversity. "At the moment we are not full of new and innovative ideas, but we realize we need them," he said. "We are committed to both hearing and seeking out input to help us achieve these goals."
And therein lies the problem. There's no simple way to achieve diversity, since it involves free will. Students need to decide to work for the paper. They need to have the time to devote, which is difficult for some, such as those who must work part or full time, or those who depend on having a stellar GPA for a scholarship.
Much has been written and said about the necessity of diversity in newsrooms, but not many solutions have been offered. Many attempts undertaken now by professional newspapers involve offering jobs and internships solely to minority candidates, or offering financial incentives. These are things the volunteer staff at The Cavalier Daily cannot offer.
I believe that all newspapers -- but especially college papers -- are interactive institutions. The paper needs the public in order to make a paper. This includes outreach not only by reporters and editors, but also outreach by the public. Why? As the staff said in their first lead editorial, news does not make itself. There's no magic News Tree growing in the newsroom. Unfortunately.
Those who feel their club, group, sport, organization, etc., isn't covered well enough should write to the News department. Give the paper a heads-up about events or when something is changing within the organization. Reporters and editors cannot be everywhere at all times. Figure out a point person who they should contact regarding the group. Get involved, get in touch, and if you're not interested yourself, encourage friends to attend a News meeting or try writing for the paper.
At the same time, people want to read about themselves. To attract a diverse staff, the paper must have a diverse readership. By covering more niche topics, another goal of the editorial staff, they will inevitably attract more diverse readers. The opposite of a Catch-22.
Good luck to them.
And now, a question for you readers: Would you want to be on the staff of The Cavalier Daily? Why or why not? What barriers do you perceive? What ways would be best to help the paper achieve its goals?
E-mail me, and I'll write a future column about your responses.
Lisa Fleisher is The Cavalier Daily's ombudsman. She can be reached at ombud@cavalierdaily.com.
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