Diverse perspectives are essential if journalists are to reflect the true complexity behind the news. Varied viewpoints add depth to reporting.
As a journalist, our primary job is to uncover facts. However, facts alone do not always tell the whole story. To provide a fair account, we must actively seek out voices that are often ignored.
This guide is based on the article The importance of diverse perspectives which we recommend you read before using the checklist below.
- [ ] Identify who is missing from the story: Before you finish your research, look at your list of sources and ask yourself which groups or communities are not being heard.
- [ ] Move beyond official spokespeople: While senior officials and industry experts provide authority, they rarely represent the views of everyone involved.
- [ ] Prioritise those most affected by the news: Seek out the people whose daily lives will actually change because of the policy or event you are covering.
- [ ] Challenge your own personal biases: Be honest with yourself about whether you are only talking to people who share your own background or beliefs.
- [ ] Avoid the trap of false balance: Do not give equal time to fringe theories or “alternative facts” if the scientific or factual evidence clearly supports one side.
- [ ] Seek out different age groups and demographics: Ensure your reporting reflects a variety of ages, ethnicities, and social classes to make the story relevant to a wider audience.
- [ ] Include geographical diversity: If a story affects a whole country, do not rely solely on voices from the capital city or large urban centres.
- [ ] Check if a perspective adds genuine understanding: Only include an additional viewpoint if it reveals something hidden or represents a significant group of people.
- [ ] Use diverse sources to improve accuracy: Remember that talking to more people helps you find contradictory evidence or important context you might have missed.
- [ ] Empower your audience to decide: Provide the factual building blocks from various perspectives so that your readers can arrive at their own informed conclusions.
Journalism is a craft that improves every time you listen to a new voice. Diverse perspectives can enrich a news story adding to the value of the information gathered.
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