JRN 319/JN 8420 - Reporting on Race: The Black community in the Media
Section 011 - Fall 2020
Land Acknowledgement
Toronto is in the 'Dish With One Spoon Territory’. The Dish With One Spoon is a treaty between the Anishinaabe, Mississaugas and Haudenosaunee that bound them to share the territory and protect the land. Subsequent Indigenous Nations and peoples, Europeans and all newcomers have been invited into this treaty in the spirit of peace, friendship and respect.
Instructor Information
Instructor(s):Biography
Eternity Martis is an award-winning journalist and editor who has worked at CBC, CTV and Xtra magazine. Her work, namely on race and gender, has appeared in Vice, the Huffington Post, The Walrus, Hazlitt, The Fader, Complex, Chatelaine and many more. In 2013, her essay on race, belonging and family was selected by Bad Feminist author Roxane Gay to be part of her series for Salon. Eternity has influenced media style guides around Canada to capitalize "Black" and "Indigenous" including tvo.org, the Toronto Star, Xtra and the Ryerson Review of Journalism, where she also co-founded the RRJ's first podcast, Offleash. She's also the author of the bestselling memoir They Said This Would Be Fun: Race, Campus Life, and Growing Up about her experience being a Black woman at a predominantly white university. She is the original course developer and instructor of Reporting On Race: Black Communities in the Media.
Course Overview
Course Description
Teaching Methods
Each week, this course will employ lectures and required readings (usually formatted by one or two major readings then "Case Study" and other examples that connect to themes and ideas from main reading) as well as in-class discussion and guest speakers. Some weeks will have additional, though optional, readings for those who are either new to the topics discussed or seeking to dig deeper.
Where noted, there will be case studies to read in small groups while in class that will require you to summarize the reading and themes, which will then be presented to your peers. On other weeks, there will be discussions and debates on issues from the readings and topics of the week.
For assignments, there will be a few select days for in-class work in order to ask questions or receive feedback. This will be further discussed in class.
I’ll endeavour to respond to emails within 24-48 hours, provided your email is civil and to the point.
Each week, students will attend a three-hour lecture which will begin with my lecture for the first hour, discussion and/or group work for the second hour, and a featured guest. Preparatory readings, audio and/or video recordings will be made available to students via D2L Brightspace at least five days before the
next class and should be completed before the related class. Unless specified, all are mandatory. Because this is a journalism course, the news might foil my plans, and new readings will be added throughout the semester. So please make sure you check D2L regularly.
Recommended Course Readings or Resources
Recommended readings for those who are new to the topics discussed, or for those who would like to learn more are noted in the syllabus.
Marking Scheme
For more information about exams, please see Ryerson University’s Senate Policy on Examinations No. 135. For more information about grade appeals and reassessments please see relevant Senate Policies:
I will return assignments and provide feedback to your work within 10 business days or less. Should you require feedback before an assignment is due, or you are concerned about an assignment, please contact me during office hours or schedule an appointment.
Classroom Management
Laptops and cellphones
Cellphones and other distracting devices must be put on silent while in class during the lecture, and when your peers are talking or presenting.
Guest Speakers
Cellphones and other devices must be put away when we have guest speakers. I expect you to participate and ask thoughtful questions to our guest speakers—remember, guests are a chance for you to have a deeper look at a particular topic or part of the industry!
Learning, collegiality and respect
This class, both in readings and discussions, will be eye-opening, challenging, and produce important conversations. I ask that everyone come to class with openness, a commitment to being self-reflective, and a willing to learn (and unlearn)—these are fundamental to having open, productive conversations. I also ask that we all assume the best intent of everyone in the room. Everyone in this class comes from a different lived experience and brings their own knowledge and analysis of the topics to the course and to our discussions. I encourage students to ask questions (especially those that you might be afraid to ask), explore their curiosity, and be open to both listening and sharing. In our virtual classroom and beyond, we respect each other, each other's unique lived experiences, and each other's pace of learning. All conversations, especially those of a personal nature, stay in the classroom. That said, I will do my absolute best to ensure you have a learning environment that is safe and free from harassment and discrimination. This course is a space to be thoughtfully critical and engaged, as well as respectful and kind, and I will ensure that you have a learning environment that is characterized by mutual respect and civility and is free from interference and disruption. I absolutely do not tolerate racism, sexism, ageism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, or xenophobia in this classroom.
Late Assignments
Assignments, where stated, must be submitted through the Turnitin portal. Any assignments past the deadline will receive a deduction of 1% per day.
Missed Term Work or Examinations
Health Certificate:If you will miss an assignment, test or examination due to illness, you should let your instructor know in advance and then submit an Academic Consideration Request Form within three working days of the missed assessment. If you are a B. Journ., student, this form should go to RSJ student affairs coordinator, Bev Petrovic; all other students should submit the documentation to their home department or program's student affairs coordinator or program administrator.
If this happens only once per semester, you will NOT have to provide a health certificate or other documentation from a health-care provider — Ryerson University’s new policy on missed assessments indicates that students need a health certificate signed by a physician only if they miss more than one assignment, test or examination in a course in a single semester. If you are going to miss a second assessment, please let me know in advance or ASAP after the fact.
Missed Term Work or Examinations — with Accommodation Letters
Students are expected to complete all assignments, tests, and exams within the time frames and by the dates indicated in this outline. If you need accommodations according to Policy 159: Academic Accommodation of Students with Disabilities, please schedule an appointment with me to must discuss any modifications as soon as possible.
Missed Term Work or Examinations — without Accommodation Letters
Exemptions or deferral of an assignment is only permitted for a medical reason or religious observance. Please provide documentation as below:
Health Certificate
If you will miss an assignment to illness, you should let your instructor know in advance and then submit an Academic Consideration Request Form within three working days of the missed assessment. This form should go to RSJ student affairs coordinator Bev Petrovic, to me.
If this happens only once per semester, you will NOT have to provide a health certificate or other documentation from a health-care provider.
Religious, Indigenous, and Spiritual Observance
For accommodations based on religious or spiritual observance, a "Request for Accommodation of Student Religious, Aboriginal and Spiritual Observance" form and an Academic Consideration Request form must be submitted within the first two weeks of class or, for a final examination, within two weeks of the posting of the examination schedule.
Plagiarism
Ethical and truthful work
Your work should be accurate, verifiable and your own; using fake interviews, misrepresenting or making up sources, data or using misleading visuals/audio, are all serious journalistic and academic offences. Your work also must be free of any copyright restrictions. If you have ANY doubts, please speak to the instructor. Details are in the School of Journalism's Rules of Conduct, which contain greater detail about truth-telling issues specific to the practice of journalism. These are in the student handbook.
All work you submit must be entirely your own. Penalties for fabrication, plagiarism or other forms of cheating will range from failing an assignment to failing the course and will include a disciplinary notice being placed on your academic record.
You are required to adhere to Ryerson University's Academic Integrity policy which covers plagiarism and other transgressions. It is at:
http://www.ryerson.ca/senate/policies/pol60.pdfA note on sources: Unless explicitly permitted by me, you may not use close friends, relatives, bosses or other journalism students as sources. You must tell me if there is any emotional or financial involvement, or any other potential conflict of interest with a source. Every source must be available for fact checking.
A note on COVID-19 and reporting: Please see D2L for details.
Course Information
The following section addresses course-specific issues and general information about student access and support.
Departmental Policies and Course Practices
To learn more about course management expectations, please review Ryerson University’s Course Management Policy No.166
Black vs. black
In this course, we will use the capitalized form of Black when discussing Black communities.
Ethical reporting
In this course, you will spend a lot of time discussing and analyzing various ethical situations and current best practices for ethical reporting, specifically when it comes to Black communities. Please familiarize yourself with the following resources.
Best Practices for Journalists Reporting on Police Killings of Black and Brown People, Race Forward:
https://www.raceforward.org/press/releases/best-practices-journalists-reporting-police-killings-black-and-brown-people
10 Tips for Covering White Supremacy and Far-Right Extremists, Journalist’s Resource/Shorenstein Center:
https://journalistsresource.org/tip-sheets/white-supremacy-alt-right-wing-tips/
Ethics Guidelines, Canadian Association of Journalists:
https://caj.ca/ethics-guidelines
A Journalist's Guide to Safely and Responsibly Covering Protests, Lenfest Institute:
https://www.lenfestinstitute.org/local-journalism/a-journalists-guide-to-safely-and-responsibly-covering-protests/
23 Guidelines for Journalists to safely cover protests, Poynter:
Student safety while reporting
I know you are all adventurous journalists who want to get the story, and when doing documentary-style work, we go to where the story is! But please always keep your personal safety in mind while reporting. Always leave a situation or interaction in which you feel unsafe or harassed. Avoid going into private residences on your own, and make sure someone always knows where you are while reporting. If you are reporting a story that involves listening to accounts of traumatic events, be sure to check in with yourself often and take breaks before you need them. Speak to me if you have a story that you think requires some planning around health and safety and I will be happy to assist. In addition, due to the nature of the topics discussed in class, I highly recommend speaking to me if you aren't sure about questions/how to approach a source/language to use in your assignments. There will be class time to ask these questions as well.
Accessibility
Ryerson University’s Student Learning Support office will work confidentially and directly with you if you have temporary and permanent disabilities that impact your academic functioning; your rights and responsibilities are outlined here:
Ryerson Senate Policy for Academic Accommodation of Students with Disabilities No. 159.
Once the instructor receives an accommodation letter, the instructor should meet with the student to discuss what arrangements should be made to assignments, classes or other issues in the course.
As we are a remote class, technology can sometimes fail us. If your internet connection or other technical issues arise before class is expected to start or during, please let me know, or contact RSJ chat. Classes will be recorded in the event that technology fails you, or if you cannot attend class. Please let me know ahead of time if you cannot attend class and require a recording.
Ryerson Student Email
All students in full and part-time graduate and undergraduate degree programs and all continuing education students are required to activate and maintain their Ryerson online identity at ryerson.ca/accounts in order to regularly access Ryerson’s email, RAMSS, the my.ryerson.ca portal and learning management system, and other systems by which they will receive official university communications.
Specific Details on IT Requirements
Please review the minimum technical requirements for students minimum technical requirements for students to access Ryerson University’s online learning resources.
We will primarily be using Zoom for class meetings, and possibly Google Meets for breakout work. All assignments, rubrics and readings will be on D2L. Please ensure you have access to all.
Student Support and Assistance
If you are experiencing technical or administrative issues with your course, help is available by completing the Ask RSJ form.
Ryerson University offers services to address a broad range of common challenges students face. Don’t hesitate to ask your instructor for assistance connecting with any of these great resources.
- The Learning Success Centre: offers help with transitioning to university, English language skills, study skills and math support (yes, journalists do need to do math)
- Ryerson Centre for Student Development and Counselling: provides support to address personal, educational and career concerns.
There is a wide range of other services available to Ryerson students; if you need any kind of assistance, PLEASE just ask—ask your instructor, the course lecturer, the student affairs coordinator or any other RSJ instructor or staff member.
In addition to Ryerson’s services and supports, Good2Talk is a free, confidential helpline providing professional counselling and information and referrals for mental health, addictions and well-being to post-secondary students in Ontario, 24/7/365. Students can reach Good2Talk by calling 1-866-925-5454 or by dialing 2-1-1 and asking to be connected to Good2Talk.
This is a demanding program; our expectations are high and the standards are rigorous. But please know that, when you encounter problems, we are here to help. For that reason, you should never hesitate to reach out.
Weekly Schedule
Week 1: The history of Black Canadians and the role of objectivity
08/09/2020
Topics
Systems & Power: What actions did Canada as a government and country take? How does this challenge the narrative of innocence?
Objectivity: What is objectivity and why might it be problematic?
Learning Objectives
Break Canada’s assumption of innocence when it comes to slavery, and critically analyze how Canada’s involvement in slavery contributes to the ongoing legacy of anti-Black racism and discrimination. Critically engage with “objectivity” in journalism and identify the ways in which “objectivity” has hindered reporting on anti-Black racism and Black communities.
Required Readings
Primary text: “Chapter 1: Devaluing Black Life, Demonizing Black Bodies.” Policing Black Lives: State Violence in Canada from Slavery to the Present, by Robyn Maynard, Fernwood, 2017. 20-48.
Sutherland, David and Holness, Jennifer. “Speakers for the Dead.” National Film Board of Canada. 2000. https://www.nfb.ca/film/speakers-for-the-dead/
Case Study Example 1: “Behind the Byline.” Segment: “Reports of Strange Fruit.” Back Story podcast (start: 13:40, end: 22:54) https://www.backstoryradio.org/shows/behind-the-bylines/
(Objectivity)
“Objectivity is 'the view from nowhere' and potentially harmful: expert.” CBC, The Sunday Edition https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thesundayedition/the-sunday-edition-for-july-12-2020-1.5639297/objectivity-is-the-view-from-nowhere-and-potentially-harmful-expert-1.5639304
Mattar, Pacinthe. "Objectivity Is a Privilege Afforded to White Journalists." The Walrus, 2020. https://thewalrus.ca/objectivity-is-a-privilege-afforded-to-white-journalists/
Benton, Joshua. “Is a Journalist Calling Out the Impact of Racism ‘Bias’?” Joshua Benton, Nieman Lab, 2019
https://www.niemanlab.org/2019/09/is-a-journalist-calling-out-the-impact-of-racism-bias/
Recommended Readings
(Lean in) When new to the topic:
- McRae, Matthew. “The Story of Slavery in Canadian History.” Humanrights.ca.
https://humanrights.ca/story/the-story-of-slavery-in-canadian-history - McRae, Matthew. “The Story of Africville.” HumanRights.ca https://humanrights.ca/story/the-story-of-africville
- Nelson, Charmaine A. “The Canadian Narrative About Slavery is Wrong.” The Walrus, 2020. https://thewalrus.ca/the-canadian-narrative-about-slavery-is-wrong/
- Li, Anita. “How We Talk About Race.” The Walrus, 2016. https://thewalrus.ca/how-we-talk-about-race/
- “A Canadian Slavery Story: Marie-Joseph Angélique.” Canadiana
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyRiSUEV6Rw
(Go deeper) When familiar with the topic for deeper exploration of the topic:
- McKinley, Steve. "For many white Canadians, ‘reparations’ is a scary word. Why some Black leaders say the time has come." Toronto Star, 2020. https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2020/06/27/for-many-white-canadians-reparations-is-a-scary-word-but-black-leaders-say-the-concept-goes-beyond-just-money.html
- Martis, Eternity. “Know Your History, Know Your Greatness.” Hazlitt, 2016.
https://hazlitt.net/longreads/know-your-history-know-your-greatness - “A Canadian Slavery Story: Marie-Joseph Angélique.” Canadiana
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyRiSUEV6Rw
Week 2: Just Desserts and the rise of racist crime representation in Canadian media
15/09/2020
Topics
Stereotypes in media: How do the stereotypes about Black criminality affect Black communities and the way they are perceived by media consumers and society?
Breaking down stereotypes: Dispelling the myth of Black criminality through accurate, equitable reporting.
Learning Objectives
Analyze and identify how media—through inherent racial bias, historic stereotypes and language—plays a role in perpetuating societal myths of criminality within Black communities.
Required Readings
“Case Study 4, The racialization of crime: Race, crime and the media.” Henry, Frances and Tator, Carol. “Racist Discourse In Canada’s English Print Media.” The Canadian Race Relations Foundation, 2000. 123-155. http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download;jsessionid=096610ED9A29784C26E58485787DB229?doi=10.1.1.199.752&rep=rep1&type=pdf
Case Study 1: Martis, Eternity. “Collateral Damage.” The Ryerson Review of Journalism, 2016: https://rrj.ca/collateral-damage/
Case Study 2: Headlines on stories featuring perpetrators and victims (on D2L)
Case Study 3: Frizzell Laura, Lindsay Sadé L., Duxbury Scott. “Race of Mass Shooters Influence How the Media Cover Their Crimes, Study Shows.” The Conversation, 2018. https://theconversation.com/race-of-mass-shooters-influences-how-the-media-cover-their-crimes-new-study-shows-100152
“The danger of a single story.” Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie x Ted Talks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9Ihs241zeg
Mongu, Tiffany. “'I was so lucky to have him': Parents and friends recall Mohamed Sow as generous, kind-hearted.” CBC, 2020 https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/mohamed-sow-friends-family-1.5660602
Hassan, Huda. "The State of Black Mourning." Hazlitt, 2017. https://hazlitt.net/feature/state-black-mourning
Recommended Readings
(Lean in) When new to the topic:
Chiu, Allyson. "Critics say the media make innocent blacks look dangerous. Here’s their latest example." Washington Post, 2018. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/07/26/critics-say-the-media-makes-innocent-blacks-look-dangerous-heres-their-latest-example/
Wortley, Scot, et al. “Just Des(s)erts? The Racial Polarization of Perceptions of Criminal Injustice.” Law & Society Review, vol. 31, no. 4, 1997, pp. 637–676. JSTOR. https://www-jstor-org.ezproxy.lib.ryerson.ca/stable/3053983
Week 3: Framing, portrayal and language
22/09/2020
Topics
Language and portrayal in media: How do stereotypes, bias, and perceptions affect the language used by the media when it comes to Black communities? What is the societal and socio-economic impact of this?
Language and reframing: How do we restore humanity, visibility and respect to Black communities?
Learning Objectives
Learn and analyze how society and media’s perpetuation of stereotypes of Black people contribute to discrimination of Black communities. Improve use of inclusive, accurate and reflective language in media, and the journalists’ role in using language that respects Black communities.
Required Readings
Primary Texts:
“Chapter 4: Mammies, Matriarchs, and Other Controlling Images.” Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment, by Patricia Hill. Collins, Routledge, 2009. https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.ezproxy.lib.ryerson.ca/lib/ryerson/reader.action?docID=178421&ppg=86
“Chapter 7: Destroying Black Families: slavery's afterlife in the child welfare system.” Policing Black Lives: State Violence in Canada from Slavery to the Present, by Robyn Maynard, Fernwood, 2017. 186-206.
Case Study 1: Desmond-Harris, Jenée. “Serena Williams Is Constantly the Target of Disgusting Racist and Sexist Attacks.” Vox, 2016. https://www.vox.com/2015/3/11/8189679/serena-williams-indian-wells-racism
Case Study 2: Duvernay, Ava, director. "Part Two": When They See Us. Netflix, 2019.
Case study 3: Mohdin, Aamna. “The media ends up racializing poverty by presenting a distorted image of Black families.” Quartz, 2017. https://qz.com/1158041/study-mediaportrayal-of-black-families-versus-white-families-in-the-us/
Martis, Eternity. “A Capital Idea.”The Ryerson Review of Journalism, 2016. https://rrj.ca/a-capital-idea/
Recommended Readings
Cave, Damien. “Serena Williams Cartoon ‘Not About Race,’ Artist Says. Experts Strongly Disagree.” Damien Cave, New York Times, 2018. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/11/world/australia/serena-williams-cartoon-herald-sun-racist.html
“Chapter 3: Work, Family, and Black Women’s Oppression.” Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment, by Patricia Hill. Collins, Routledge, 2009. https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.ezproxy.lib.ryerson.ca/lib/ryerson/reader.action?docID=178421&ppg=62
Wilks, Lauren E. “Mapping Tensions Between Masculinized and Feminized Media Portrayals of Serena Williams and the Black Female Sporting Body.”Feminist Media Histories (2020) 6 (3): 52–78. https://doi.org/10.1525/fmh.2020.6.3.52
Week 4: Critical Issues Affecting Black Canadians (Part 1)
29/09/2020
Topics
Critical issues: What are some pressing issues affecting Black communities in Canada today? How does the media play a role in bringing these issues to light?
Learning Objectives
Critically look at the issues (health, education, property) affecting Black Canadians today as a result of systemic racism in Canada. Analyze the media’s role in reporting on issues affecting Black people.
Required Readings
Primary Text:
“Chapter 8: The (Mis)Education of Black Youth: Anti-Blackness in the school system.” Policing Black Lives: State Violence in Canada from Slavery to the Present, by Robyn Maynard, Fernwood, 2017. 210-227.
“Chapter 3: Arrested (In)justice: From the Streets to the Prison." Policing Black Lives: State Violence in Canada from Slavery to the Present, by Robyn Maynard, Fernwood, 2017. 84-114.
Case Studies (You will be assigned one of the readings below during class as part of a group presentation. You and your group will be expected to present a summary of article, why it's a critical issue in Black communities, and something you each learned from the article.)
Case Study 1: Zoledziowski, Anya. "Catholic School Board Denies Racially Profiling Black Student Wearing Durag." Vice, 2019. https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/8849ma/edmonton-catholic-school-board-denies-racially-profiling-black-student-wearing-durag
Case Study 2: Bowden, Olivia and Cain, Patrick. "Black neighbourhoods in Toronto are hit hardest by COVID-19 — and it’s ‘anchored in racism’: experts." Global News, 2020. https://globalnews.ca/news/7015522/black-neighbourhoods-toronto-coronavirus-racism/
Case Study 3: Kendi, Ibram X. "Stop Blaming Black People for Dying of the Coronavirus." The Atlantic, 2020. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/04/race-and-blame/609946/
Case Study 4: Martis, Eternity. "Why Black Women Fear For Their Lives In The Delivery Room." Huffington Post, 2020. https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/black-maternal-health-canada_ca_5ed90ae3c5b685164f2eab93
Case Study 5: Mohdin, Aamna. “The media ends up racializing poverty by presenting a distorted image of Black families.” Quartz, 2017. https://qz.com/1158041/study-media-portrayal-of-black-families-versus-white-families-in-the-us/
Case Study 6: Martis, Eternity. "The Health Effects of Anti-Black Racism." The Local, 2018.
https://thelocal.to/the-health-affects-of-anti-black-racism-ee565fff5805/
Case Study 7: Beaumont, Hilary. "Africville Residents Want Compensation for the Homes Halifax Bulldozed Decades Ago." Vice, 2015
Case Study 8: Hounsell, Kayla. "Black N.S. man was unfairly denied title to land settled by his family in 1913, court rules." CBC News, 2020. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/n-s-supreme-court-land-title-systemic-racism-1.5654466
Assignments
Story analysis due on Sept 29 at 11:59 a.m. EST
Week 5: Critical Issues Affecting Black Canadians (Part 2)
06/10/2020
Topics
Critical issues: What are some pressing issues affecting Black communities in Canada today? How does the media play a role in bringing these issues to light?
Learning Objectives
Critically look at the issues (gender, politics, justice) affecting Black Canadians today (gender-oppressed people, justice) as a result of systemic racism in Canada. Analyze the media’s role in reporting on issues affecting Black people.
Required Readings
Primary Text: “Chapter 5: Misogynoir in Canada: Punitive state practices and the devaluation of Black women and gender-oppressed people." Policing Black Lives: State Violence in Canada from Slavery to the Present, by Robyn Maynard, Fernwood, 2017. 131-156.
“Chapter 4: Law Enforcement Violence Against Black Women: Naming Their Names, Telling Their Stories.” Policing Black Lives: State Violence in Canada from Slavery to the Present, by Robyn Maynard, Fernwood, 2017. 119-127.
Case Studies (You will be assigned one of the readings below during class as part of a group presentation. You and your group will be expected to present a summary of article, why it's a critical issue in Black communities, and something you each learned from the article.)
Case study 1: Martis, Eternity. "Why COVID-19 Is Even More Dangerous For Black Women." Refinery29, 2020.
https://www.refinery29.com/en-ca/2020/05/9717180/overpolicing-black-women-canada-coronavirus
Case study 2: Mann, Arshy. “A Trans Woman Was Found Dead in Toronto. A Trans Woman Went Missing. Why Do We Still Not Have Answers?” Xtra, 2017. https://www.dailyxtra.com/a-trans-woman-was-found-dead-in-toronto-a-trans-woman-went-missing-why-do-we-still-not-have-answers-81381
Case study 3: Martis, Eternity. "What matters most to Black queer Americans." https://www.dailyxtra.com/what-matters-most-to-black-queer-americans-159541 and "What matters most to Black trans and gender non-conforming Americans." Xtra, 2019-2020. https://www.dailyxtra.com/what-matters-most-black-trans-gender-non-conforming-americans-165670
Case study 4: Chidley-Hill, John. "Black people ‘disproportionately’ arrested, struck, shot by Toronto police, report finds." Global News, 2020.
https://globalnews.ca/news/7262663/toronto-black-people-disproportionately-arrested-shot-hit-police-report/
Case study 5: Wendy Gillis. "Judge finds off-duty Toronto cop guilty of assault, but says Dafonte Miller’s beating ‘probably’ much worse." Toronto Star, 2020.
Recommended Readings
Edwards, Ashley Alese. "Was It Our Hair? Or Was It You?" Glamour, 2020. https://www.glamour.com/story/the-crown-act-september-2020-cover-story
Assignments
News article on historic Black community/leader due Oct 8 at 11:59 a.m. EST.
Week 6: READING WEEK- NO CLASS
13/10/2020
Week 7: Ethical considerations when reporting on Black communities
20/10/2020
Topics
Approaches and interviewing: How do you enter and leave a marginalized community? What are the best practices for interviewing and finding sources for your story?
Ethics of Care when Reporting: What are the responsibilities and ethical choices to make when showing people’s protest and death?
Learning Objectives
Learn the ethical and equitable methods for how to report and interact with Black communities, from entering a community to publishing protest photos and videos of Black death. Improve interviewing skills with careful listening and sources from a range of perspectives.
Required Readings
Primary text: “Chapter 8: Getting People to Talk: The Art of the Interview.” Cribb, Robert, et al. Digging Deeper: A Canadian Reporter’s Research Guide: Second Edition (Toronto, Oxford Press, 2011). 156-174.
Case Study 1: "‘For a lot of people, there has never been trust.'" Solutions Journalism, 2020.
Case Study 2: “White students barred from funded RSU student group event.” The Ryersonian, 2015.
https://ryersonian.ca/white-students-barred-from-funded-rsu-student-group-event/
(Ethics of care when reporting)
Aggeler, Madeleine. "Face of a Dissident." The Cut, 2020. https://www.thecut.com/2020/06/face-of-a-dissident.html
Miller Eliana and Asbury, Nicole. "Photographers are being called on to stop showing protesters’ faces. Should they?" Poynter, 2020.
https://www.poynter.org/ethics-trust/2020/should-journalists-show-protesters-faces/
Gregory, Kia. "How Videos of Police Brutality Traumatize African Americans and Undermine the Search for Justice." The New Republic, 2019. https://newrepublic.com/article/153103/videos-police-brutality-traumatize-african-americans-undermine-search-justice
Richardson, Allissa V. “Why cellphone videos of black people’s deaths should be considered sacred, like lynching photograph.” The Conversation, 2020.
https://theconversation.com/why-cellphone-videos-of-black-peoples-deaths-should-be-considered-sacred-like-lynching-photographs-139252
Week 8: Diversity (or lack thereof) in Canadian media and in the newsroom
27/10/2020
Topics
The role of diversity: How does diversity play a critical role in reporting on Black communities? How does diversity—or a lack thereof—affect newsrooms?
Learning Objectives
Understand the role of "diversity" and how Canadian newsrooms have helped or hindered diversity in both their reporting and internally in their newsrooms. Think critically about the role of intersectionality and inclusiveness in reporting on Black communities.
Required Readings
Crenshaw, Kimberle. “Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence against Women of Color.” Stanford Law Review, vol. 43, no. 6, 1991, pp. 1241–1299. JSTOR. https://www-jstor-org.ezproxy.lib.ryerson.ca/stable/1229039
Newman-Bremang, Kathleen. "For Black Women In Media, A “Dream Job” Is A Myth." Refinery29, 2020.
https://www.refinery29.com/en-ca/2020/07/9878117/systemic-racism-canadian-media
Balkissoon, Denise. "I Tried To Talk To My Bosses About Racism At Work." Chatelaine, 2020. https://www.chatelaine.com/opinion/racism-at-work/
Jackson, Angelique and Thorne, Will. "Black Sports Journalists Have Long Been Discouraged From Talking About Racial Injustice; Now It’s Part of the Beat." Variety, 2020. https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/black-sports-journalists-racial-injustice-1234751832/
Fatah, Sonya and Malik, Asmaa. "Newsrooms not keeping up with changing demographics, study suggests." The Conversation, 2020. https://theconversation.com/newsrooms-not-keeping-up-with-changing-demographics-study-suggests-125368
CABJ and CJOC, “Canadian Media Diversity Calls to Action.” J-Source, 2020. https://j-source.ca/article/canadian-media-diversity-calls-to-action/
Recommended Readings
Syed, Fatima, Abouseif, Carine et. Al. “Why Diversity?” The Ryerson Review of Journalism, 2016.
https://diversity.rrj.ca
Week 9: Power, privilege and implicit bias
03/11/2020
Topics
Privilege and power: How can allies use their privilege and power to recognize and assist Black journalists in reporting on Black communities?
Power, privilege, and white supremacy: How does power and privilege shape reporting, and how can it be disrupted?
Learning Objectives
Identify and critically engage with how power, privilege and bias, including one’s own, can positively or negatively affect coverage of Black communities. Engage in discussion about the role of allies in reporting on Black communities.
Required Readings
Bailey, J. Issac. "How Implicit Bias Works in Journalism." Nieman Reports, 2018. https://niemanreports.org/articles/how-implicit-bias-works-in-journalism/
Take the "Project Implicit" Race test. (Click on the link, register, and click on tab that says "take a test.") https://implicit.harvard.edu.
Demby, Gene. "How Black Reporters Report On Black Death." "Code-Switch," NPR, 2015.
Stone, Kit. "White journalists should be reporting on racial injustice, not just stepping aside for black writers." Insider, 2020.
https://www.insider.com/stop-only-using-black-journalists-to-report-on-racism-2020-6
WATCH: "How news organizations should cover white supremacist shootings, according to a media expert." PBS, 2019.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/how-media-coverage-contributes-to-white-supremacist-rhetoric
Proctor, Jason. "The difficult history of prosecuting hate in Canada." CBC News, 2020. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/racists-attacks-court-hate-crimes-1.5604912
Week 10: #BlackLivesMatter, George Floyd and the line between activism and journalism
10/11/2020
Topics
Protest and perception: How can journalists accurately cover protests and police brutality?
Activism and journalism: a fine line? What is the line, if at all, between activism and journalism?
Learning Objectives
Identify and discuss the line between activism and journalism. Analyze how language, stereotypes and bias contributes to negative coverage of Black protest and activism and learn the ethical and equitable methods for how to report and interact with Black communities and activists.
Required Readings
Adamson, Bryan. "Thugs, Crooks, and Rebellious Negroes: Racist and Racialized Media Coverage of Michael Brown and the Ferguson Demonstrations." Harvard Journal on Racial & Ethnic Justice, 32, 2016. HeinOnline. 201-217, 226-240. http://tinyurl.com/yyq56bvw
Kilgo, Danielle. "Riot or resistance? The way the media frames the unrest in Minneapolis will shape the public’s view of protest." Nieman Lab, 2020. https://www.niemanlab.org/2020/05/riot-or-resistance-the-way-the-media-frames-the-unrest-in-minneapolis-will-shape-the-publics-view-of-protest/
Case study 1: Pride x BLM headlines from 2016 (in D2L)
Case study 2: Mann, Arshy. “Why Black Lives Matter is Toronto’s Most Effective LGBT Movement.” Xtra, 2016. https://www.dailyxtra.com/why-black-lives-matter-is-torontos-most-effective-lgbt-movement-70830
Case Study 3: Neason, Alexandria. "Officials Say..." Columbia Journalism Review, 2019. Neason, Alexandria. "Officials Say..." Columbia Journalism Review, 2019. https://www.cjr.org/special_report/officials-say-chicago-police-joshua-beal.php
(Activism and journalism)
Blanding, Michael. "Where Does Journalism End and Activism Begin?" Nieman Reports, 2020. https://niemanreports.org/articles/where-does-journalism-end-and-activism-begin/
Assignments
Feature on critical issue in journalism due Nov 6 at 11:59 a.m. EST
Week 11: The role of storytelling in Black communities and the Black press
17/11/2020
Topics
Black storytelling: What is the role of personal journalism for Black communities and reporting on Black communities?
Ethnic media and the Black Press: What’s the Black press’ role in Canada?
Learning Objectives
Learn how the legacy and role of the Black press in Canadian media and its importance for the coverage of Black communities. Analyze how different forms of journalism and storytelling about the Black experience can highlight past and contemporary issues that Black communities in Canada experience.
Required Readings
Primary text:
They Said This Would Be Fun: Race, Campus Life, and Growing Up, by Eternity Martis, McClelland & Stewart, 2020.
"Mary Ann Shadd." RellaBlackHistory Foundation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNiFNvXZ9ws
Schmidt, Christine. "Here’s the state of African-American media today — and steps it can take going forward." Nieman Labs, 2019.
https://www.niemanlab.org/2019/03/heres-the-state-of-african-american-media-today-and-steps-it-can-take-going-forward/
Miller, Jason and Francis, Angelyn. "Black stories. Black voices. Black spaces. This is media by and for Black Canadians." Toronto Star, 2020.
Week 12: Resilience and solutions (Part 1)
24/11/2020
Topics
Solutions journalism and resilience: how can journalists use storytelling to uplift Black communities?
Learning Objectives
Employ methods of advocacy and solutions journalism to uplift, highlight, celebrate Black communities and their resilience, and disrupt negative portrayals and beliefs about Black communities.
Required Readings
Venn, David. "Searching for Solutions." The Ryerson Review of Journalism, 2019.
https://rrj.ca/searching-for-solutions/
“Why We Need Solutions Journalism.” Solutions Journalism, 2016 https://thewholestory.solutionsjournalism.org/ten-reasons-why-we-need-solutions-journalism-a4b29c663086
Case study 1: Bhandari, Aparita. "Better bus service could help solve Scarborough’s transit troubles." The Discourse, 2019.
https://thediscourse.ca/scarborough/better-bus-service
Assignments
Presentations for "Best Practices for Journalists Reporting on Black Communities" due in class.
Report for "Best Practices for Journalists Reporting on Black Communities" due Nov 27 at 11:59 pm EDT.
Week 13: Resilience and solutions (Part 2)
01/12/2020
Topics
What are the best practices for reporting on Black communities: applying what you know about language, framing, issues, portrayals, power and bias, how should we report on Black communities?
Movement journalism and solutions: how can journalists use storytelling and current issues to uplift Black communities?
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to tie together what they have learned in the past 12 weeks.
Required Readings
Vasquez, Tina. "Is Movement Journalism What’s Needed During this Reckoning over Race and Inequality?" Nieman Reports, 2020. https://niemanreports.org/articles/158195/
Case study 1: Paz Grullón Isabella and Astor Maggie. "Black Trans Women Seek More Space in the Movement They Helped Start." The New York Times, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/27/us/politics/black-trans-lives-matter.html
Case study 2: Anderson Deonna. "This Chef Is Fighting Gentrification With Hot Chicken." Yes! 2018. https://www.yesmagazine.org/democracy/2018/09/01/this-chef-is-fighting-gentrification-with-hot-chicken/?utm_source=Solutions%20Story%20Tracker
Case study 3: Williams, Joseph P, "A Shave, a Haircut – and a Blood Pressure Check." U.S. News. 2019. https://www.usnews.com/news/healthiest-communities/articles/2019-04-15/battling-high-blood-pressure-at-the-barber