LETTER FROM THE EDITOR: Spring 2023 midway diversity audit report

Results found consistent coverage on AAPI communities

+Diversity%2C+Equity+and+Inclusion+editor+Elizabeth+Meza+shares+results+from+The+State+Hornet%E2%80%99s+spring+2023+midway+audit.++Meza+also+offers+suggestions+on+how+The+State+Hornet+can+improve+the+diversity+of+its+coverage.+Graphic+created+in+Canva+by+Elizabeth+Meza.

Elizabeth Meza

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion editor Elizabeth Meza shares results from The State Hornet’s spring 2023 midway audit. Meza also offers suggestions on how The State Hornet can improve the diversity of its coverage. Graphic created in Canva by Elizabeth Meza.

Elizabeth Meza
March 29, 2023

Hi everyone! My name is Elizabeth Meza and I am the fourth Diversity, Equity and Inclusion editor for The State Hornet. 

For four semesters, The State Hornet has published the diversity midway audit to hold itself accountable for goals and suggestions made in previous audits.

Last semester’s audit provided data on the progress The State Hornet has made to center underrepresented communities and proved that we have consistently met our goal. 

As the DEI editor this semester, it is my responsibility to audit The State Hornets coverage, lead a team of staffers to cover underrepresented communities and encourage all staffers to create meaningful relationships with the diverse communities we have on campus. Our DEI section has centered voices from Black, queer and Asian American Pacific Islander communities so far. 

However, it is worth noting that there are still critical improvements to be made. We need to increase coverage on Native, indigenous and disabled communities.

Our coverage has improved in some sections and remained steady in others. Fall 2022, the diversity in video was at 100%, podcasts at 97%, sports at 86%, news at 70% and arts and entertainment at 32%.

Note: “Centered sources” means story coverage that focuses on people from underrepresented communities. For example: DEI writer Jasmine Ascencio’s story covering Little Africa, a networking event hosted by Black student-led organizations during Black History Month, employed centered sources. 

 

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion midway report spring 2023

Goals and Suggestions

  • Continue collaborations with other sections within the publication (news, arts and entertainment, sports, multimedia, podcasting and social media) 
  • Focus on increasing coverage in the Native American/Indigenous and Latinx/Hispanic communities
  • Increase overall coverage on communities with disabilities
  • Incorporate the usage of multimedia and creative visuals in stories covering underrepresented communities
  • Encourage sections to have 60% or more of its stories focusing on diverse stories with student voices
  • Create a DEI style guide for staffers to follow when reporting on diverse communities
  • Collaborate with sections that are not meeting suggested goals 

Suggestion: The State Hornet will host a sensitivity workshop to provide staffers and editors with tools to improve reporting on underrepresented communities. 

OVERVIEW: A look at our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Section

Coverage on our Black Community at Sac State

Strengths:

  • Our story on students' reaction to the loss of Tyre Nichols focused on students' perspectives and demands for change after the incident. It also covered the forum Sac State hosted to find solutions to address police brutality, bringing  attention to students' concerns for their safety around police officers.
  • Our story on The Male Empowerment Collaborative was about their efforts to connect Black students with Black professionals to increase retention and graduation rates. This coverage was informative of the efforts Sac State is making towards increasing resources for Black male students. 
  • The story on the National Society of Black Engineers focused on Black engineering students’ effort to create a safe space for themselves. This student organization serves as a resource hub for other students seeking to level out the playing field between Black and non-Black students. This story was significant because it highlighted Black students overcoming the barriers they face as STEM majors by creating their own safe space.
  • Our story on Shirley Weber’s visit to Sac State during Black History month addressed AB3121, an Assembly Bill focused on reparations and giving back to Black Americans who were impacted by trauma from slavery and a need for more representation in politics. This coverage featured a prominent political figure and addressed issues affecting the Black community.
  • Our Spanish coverage on Afro-Latinx identity explores the intersectionality of being Latin American and Black through Sac State student Kaliyah Vernons, experience. It also highlights influential Afro-Latinx people in history. This story was a great way to address the intersectionality of identities.

Where we need to improve: 

Feature more profiles highlighting impactful people in the Black community at Sac State. 

Coverage on our Latinx/Hispanic community 

Strengths:

  • Our Spanish section has been an excellent avenue for increased coverage of the Latinx/Hispanic community. Our SOMOS podcast features impactful people in the Latinx/Hispanic community at Sac State and is a wonderful way to celebrate their accomplishments.
  • Coverage of the resources offered by the Serna Center during the Spring semester previewed the events that the Serna Center and Dreamers Resource Center provide for students on campus. This acknowledges what the university is doing to spread awareness of the resources available to Latinx, Hispanic, and undocumented students.
  • The Spanish podcast episode on increasing Latinx representation through a conversation with Dr. Heidy Sarabia, a sociology professor at Sac State. This episode addressed the need for more Latinx faculty.

Where we need to improve:

  • Overall more coverage on this community in other sections. This can be done through profiles or news stories on issues affecting Latinx and Hispanic students.
  • Highlighting diverse Latinx communities. For instance, being more inclusive of individuals from South America, Central America and the Caribbean.

Coverage on our Asian American and Pacific Islander community at Sac State

Strengths 

  • Our story on the ‘Cloth as Community’ exhibit in the Library displaying traditional Hmong culture was exciting event coverage on the Hmong community. This kind of coverage is important because it helps promote cultural awareness and understanding of the Hmong community.
  • The story about the launch of the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Center and the expansion of the MLK Center highlighted the new spaces and the resources that would become available to students once the centers launched. This story was a great way to highlight the progress Sac State is making to be more inclusive of APIDA identifying students.
  • Our photo gallery on the grand openings of the APIDA and MLK Centers showed attendees and organizers celebrating the new spaces for students. 

Where we need to improve:

  • Continue to be more consistent on this community.
  • We need to connect with more student organizations and profiles on student leaders in this community.

Coverage on our LGBTQ+ community at Sac State:

Strengths 

  • Our preview on the PRIDE Center coordinator forum explained what the process is for finding a person to preside over the PRIDE Center. This is important coverage because it informs our audience of new leadership at the PRIDE Center.
  • An opinion piece written by DEI writer Ruth Finch about gender identity expressed the concern with gender identity becoming a hot topic for the 2024 presidential race. This was an impactful piece because it addressed transgender people's access to healthcare and gave Ruth, a transgender woman, the platform to do so.

Where we need to improve:

  • We need more visual coverage on the LGBTQ+ community. This can be done through galleries or a greater social media presence. 
  • Connecting with the incoming PRIDE Center coordinator to cover future plans for the LGBTQ+ community.

Coverage on our community with disabilities at Sac State

Strengths 

  • None

Where we need to improve:

  • Coverage on this community is entirely lacking.
  • Building a relationship with the Services for Students with Disabilities and highlighting their services for students

Podcasts: With eight podcast episodes as of March 1, five of them focused on or centered around voices from underrepresented communities or were about underrepresented communities. 

62%. Which Podcasts?:

Video: 6 videos so far this semester, 5 of them focused on or centered around voices from underrepresented communities or were about underrepresented communities. 

83%. Which Video?: 

News: 22 news stories, 17 of them focused on or centered around voices from underrepresented communities or were about underrepresented communities. 

77%. Which news stories?:

Sports: 17 stories, 14 of them focused on or centered around voices from underrepresented communities or were about underrepresented communities. 

82%. Which stories?:

Arts and Entertainment: 25 stories, 24 of them focused on or centered around voices from underrepresented communities or were about underrepresented communities. 

96%. Which stories?:


Sac State is considered to be the 4th most diverse campus, according to University in the West, U.S News and World report. The State Hornet is compelled to produce diverse content to reflect its audience. Giving a platform to underrepresented communities promotes cultural awareness, understanding and inclusivity. 

By performing this audit, the publication can identify ways that diverse coverage can improve while holding itself accountable for suggestions made in past audits. Media transparency is crucial in building trust with the communities we serve at Sac State.

Additional Contribution: Jasmine Ascencio

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion editor, Hannah Asuncion audits the coverage at The State Hornet midway through the fall semester. Asuncion shares the improvements within each sections and which need more coverage for next time. Graphic created in Canva by Mercy Sosa.
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR: Fall 2022 midway audit results
The State Hornet compiled the results of our spring 2022 diversity audit. The audit found that each section had over half of its stories focused or centered on underrepresented communities. (Graphic made in Canva by Jenelle Lum).
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR: Spring 2022 end-of-year-audit results
The State Hornet compiled the results of our fall 2021 audit. Our audit found that each section had over half of stories focused or centered on underrepresented communities. (Graphic by Emma Hall).
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR: fall 2021 audit results, mission for the spring