Diversity
Reflection
Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District is the third-largest in Texas and sits in Harris County just outside of Houston, the most diverse city in the country.
Tommy Yarrish and participants of the Multicultural Journalism workshop pose for a selfie.
Bridgeland High School is the newest high school and the most affluent with 16.3 percent of the student population economically disadvantaged. Just six miles away at another high school in the district, the student population is 69 percent economically disadvantaged. It is important to me as a reporter to be mindful of how the experiences of students from various economic backgrounds differ. In particular, economically disadvantaged athletes from Title I schools do not always receive the exposure needed to secure athletic scholarships. Geographically, I consider my community I work in to not just be Bridgeland High School, but also CFISD and Houston. Reporting on as many schools and athletes as possible is how I can be of service to my community.
Great stories are everywhere, but I focus on the stories in the community. Being mindful of access, I take seriously the diverse coverage in the community. Houston’s local news covers Houston as a whole. However, coverage of sports and news for the Bridgeland Media audience comes down to the high school journalism department. This includes reviews of new businesses in the community to high school sports coverage.
When it comes down to handling diversity in the media program, we as a staff are mindful of how the coverage and publications represent the school. When students open the yearbook or news site, they are not just looking for themselves but also looking to see their community represented. The community is not just limited to their culture or gender but also includes interests or hobbies. Editors spend time reviewing content to make sure we are as inclusive as possible.
Students from the MCJW at the University of Alabama listen to a guest speaker.
I know the importance of representing different cultures. As a bilingual student of color, I strive to do more to promote multicultural journalism. In the Summer of 2019, I was one of 10 students in the nation to receive a full scholarship to attend a workshop for multicultural journalism at the University of Alabama. The 10 of us were from all walks of life and demographics. Over the course of 10 days, we worked together to create a newspaper focusing on diverse coverage. Throughout this process, I learned how a diverse staff creates more balanced workspaces. My experience at this workshop inspired my decision to apply to the University of Alabama.