A groundbreaking research initiative led by Carleton University associate professor Nana aba Duncan and Toronto Metropolitan University assistant professor Eternity Martis is set to transform how Canadian media covers Black communities. The project, “Reporting in Black Communities,” is supported by the Mary Ann Shadd Cary Centre for Journalism and Belonging at Carleton University’s School of Journalism and Communication, marking one of several initiatives in the centre’s portfolio.
The project will create the first Canadian guidebook combining perspectives from Black news consumers, Black journalists, and non-Black journalists and leaders. This comprehensive resource will equip media professionals and students with tools to cover Black communities with accuracy, dignity, and equity.
“As a journalist who has covered race for almost 12 years, I’ve spent many years thinking about the impact of negative reporting on Black communities,” said Martis. “This project seeks to understand these impacts and how they could influence better reporting.”
The project was inspired by Martis’ course “Reporting on Race: The Black Community in the Media,” which she developed to teach students how to report on Black communities through a harm-reduction lens.
Duncan, who holds the Carty Chair in Journalism, Diversity and Inclusion Studies at Carleton University, emphasized the project’s significance: “We hope that Reporting in Black Communities will create a shift in how Black people are covered and represented in Canadian journalism.”
Nana aba Duncan, co-lead researcher and associate professor of Journalism at Carleton University.
The Centre, housed at Carleton University, provides crucial support for this initiative as part of its broader mission to create more welcoming and inclusive spaces in journalism for historically excluded communities. This project represents one of several important initiatives currently supported by the centre.
The research team is currently recruiting Black participants for focus groups in four key Canadian cities: Toronto, Montreal, Halifax, and Edmonton. These sessions will inform the development of the bilingual guidebook, which will be available in both English and French, ensuring it reflects the lived experiences and perspectives of Black communities across the country.
Partially funded by the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, the project has received research ethics clearance from both Carleton University and Toronto Metropolitan University.
Black community members interested in participating in the focus groups can learn more about the project at reportingblack.com. The deadline for participation is October 31, 2024.
For more information, contact:
Nana aba Duncan (nanaaba.duncan@carleton.ca) or Eternity Martis (emartis@torontomu.ca)
Thursday, October 10, 2024 in Journalism News, News
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