As an upper-level class at Ithaca College comprised of members reporting on everything from entertainment journalism to financial journalism through everything from digital to print journalism, we have felt lucky to enjoy a space dedicated to existing in communities to learn about their perspectives, challenging our beliefs, and telling stories that don’t always get the coverage they deserve. The work we have done this semester and the sources we got to connect with has been a great reminder of why we study journalism. We’d like to help bring these feelings to other student journalists who are interested in going a step deeper with their reporting by genuinely connecting with and feeling responsibility for a community’s story and reminding themselves and audiences of the true, amazing impact that journalism can have.

We learned from pre-existing guides and academic resources, presentations done by experienced professionals, creating our own inclusive journalism pieces and the communities a part of them and of course — each other. Class discussions regarding any of the sources just listed were open, well-intentioned and often continued past our 75-minute class due to genuine interest and care.  

This guide was built at the end of the semester, after our final stories were completed and together around a table in our classroom. We discussed some of our greatest lessons learned — whether they be in class or field — and broke them into sub-categories. After the content was finalized, a pdf and website design scheme was created, and the guide was uploaded online and made printable so it could be followed as a reminder or blueprint for student journalists to come.

While our class and field experiences have allowed us to grow as journalists, we acknowledge that our path to being inclusive in our reporting is something that should continue to evolve. We welcome support, suggestions and questions as we realize our perspectives and backgrounds are not fully representative of the communities we cover and that a semester-long class is a step forward, not a comprehensive stopping point.