The Journalists LGBTQ+ Toolkit is designed primarily to assist journalists who don’t normally cover the LGBTQ community.
The advice is drawn from outside media experts and our own members who are professional journalists for both mainstream media and the LGBTQ press. We also offer story ideas and new ways of thinking for reporters who are experienced in covering LGBTQ life.
“News Value & Fairness: It’s Good for Ratings, But is it News?” offers tips on how journalists can deliver more balanced LGBT-related stories during sweeps.
Here’s an excerpt:
“Four times a year, it’s sweeps month at local television stations. And that often means celebrities, sex, and more sex.
“But the annual quest for broadcast ratings supremacy can sometimes result in inaccurate or unbalanced stories about sexual minorities. And print outlets can be just as guilty.
“Consider the public sex stories that some TV stations have run during sweeps in February or November. Or newspaper stories about police arrests for public lewdness or similar charges. Is the fact that men meet for sex in a public restroom really newsworthy? Or is it sensationalism? These questions are debatable, but there are some points that responsible journalists should keep in mind during sweeps time — and year round for that matter.”
Click here to read the complete article.