Think Outside The Classroom: How to diversify education sources and the stories we tell

Education is said to be the great equalizer — but not all education coverage is created equal. 

Education reporters have witnessed and documented the pandemic’s enormous effects on students, parents, teachers, administrators, and their communities. With so many voices - and quickly changing policies going into the next academic year - how can an education reporter lift the voices of those most impacted? 

In “Think Outside The Classroom: How to diversify education sources and the stories we tell,” a distinguished panel of veteran education reporters and editors will share their techniques for finding and shaping stories driven by the voices of those underrepresented in education coverage, including families of color, students with disabilities, rural residents, families experiencing homelessness, and others facing circumstances that impact their learning. 

Registration is open for this virtual discussion, which will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET on Friday, Aug. 20, 2021. The Institute is offering this program at no cost thanks to a generous grant from the Gannett Foundation.

Participants will learn how to: 

• Move from authority-driven sourcing and framing to community-driven sourcing and framing
• Avoid tokenism and stereotypes: Listen for and represent the truth between the extremes of success and despair in underrepresented communities
• Cover dailies and in-depth stories with sensitivity, respect, and completeness

Meet the panelists:

• Eva-Marie Ayala, a veteran education reporter and the editor of The Dallas Morning News' Education Lab 
• Shelly Conlon, watchdog coach for three newsrooms with The Argus Leader (South Dakota) 
• Delece Smith-Barrow, education editor at POLITICO
• ​​Bianca Vazquez Toness, a member of The Boston Globe’s educational equity team 

The program will be moderated by Kara Arundel, a National Press Club member and K-12 education reporter for Industry Dive who has covered education locally and nationally. 

If you have questions about this program, please email Beth Francesco, Institute senior director, at [email protected].

About the Institute

The National Press Club Journalism Institute promotes an engaged global citizenry through an independent and free press, and equips journalists with skills and standards to inform the public in ways that inspire civic engagement. The National Press Club Journalism Institute has added online programming, a daily newsletter, a weekly writing group, and other support for journalists since the pandemic started. The Institute has waived fees for most of its services due to the pandemic, saving participants like you tens of thousands of dollars. If you value what you’ve been learning from the Institute during this time, please consider donating whatever you can. The National Press Club Journalism Institute is proud to be the non-profit affiliate of the National Press Club.