Commitment to Diversity

“The most profound lessons about journalism I’ve learned have been taught to me by the people I’ve covered.”

-Jodi Kantor, Investigative Journalist

Something to think about…

I was once told in an interview in order to have a table talking about the right things, everyone has to be welcome at the table. That statement has stuck with me ever since I heard it.

Journalists tell the stories of their respective communities. The only way to accurately do it is to make sure every part of the community is talked about. I take the responsibility of giving everyone a platform seriously. I have tried to be mindful of all parties considered when producing content while also trying to educate myself.

Bridgeland High School is the most affluent high school in the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District. Going to sporting events for the school, the stands would be close to full capacity for almost every game. I know my high school experience isn’t the same as everyone else’s. A neighboring high school has 69 percent of its student population economically disadvantaged. I made it my mission to provide equal football coverage to as many schools as I could across the greater Houston area and eventually the state. I saw what it had done for the Bridgeland community, an area with multiple outlets to turn to and that has a majority of its population already at the game. So, I wanted to bring that same feeling to schools who may not get the same amount of public recognition or turnout.

Below is an interactive map of every high school I covered in Texas along with their percentage of minority enrollment and economically disadvantaged students. Each dot represents a different school district. Click on each dot to see all the schools I covered in that district and their statistics.

Diversification of The Bridge Interviews

As the sports editor in my junior year, I noticed reporters were sending me stories consistently interviewing the same two or three people not important to telling the story. I took it upon myself to change that trend this year after assuming the editor-in-chief title. I implemented an interview spreadsheet as a part of the production process where every reporter has to enter who they interviewed, grade if they are a student and what story the interview was for. Every reporter is required to not only input their used interviews but check the spreadsheet before deciding on their interview subjects. This is to make sure they are not choosing someone on the sheet unless they are absolutely necessary to the story. I made sure the spreadsheet was an impactful addition by checking it consistently for any missed submissions. I also enforced a rule the story would not published until all the reporter’s interviews were on the spreadsheet. By creating this spreadsheet, the staff has been able to create more engagement by involving more people in stories. It has also increased the representation of every part of the Bridgeland community and built more credibility for our program.

Featured is what the spreadsheet looked like right before going on a break after the fall semester.

First Black Cover Model

Selecting the perfect subject to represent “The Locker Room” story for the fall magazine was important to me. I knew since the story served as the center of the magazine, the person I chose would not only be featured on four pages but on the cover as well. I wanted the first thing the readers saw to hit hard and make an impact instantly. None of my interviewees were current students of the school. I reached out to the entire media program, asking if anyone knew an athlete at Bridgeland who would be open to modeling for a story about social issues in sports. I was given different options to choose from along with others I had in mind. The selection was easy after I took a look back at the past editions, noticing no Black model had been featured on the cover yet. I decided what better time to change that than now, especially with a story discussing social issues. I think this achievement adds to the overall impression of the story itself.

CONTACT SHEET FOR PHOTOSHOOT

Disability Awareness Club Coverage

At the beginning of the school year, two staffers pitched the idea of covering the formation of Bridgeland’s new Disability Awareness Club for a feature story. I instantly gave it the green light. After they created the story, I made sure they sat down with me to ensure the story did the club justice. At first, the story just focused on the start of the club itself rather than the club’s impact. I encouraged the writers to not only shift the story’s focus but also to conduct new interviews in order to amplify the voice speaking for an underrepresented group at Bridgeland. After acquiring new quotes and angles, I helped the writers rewrite their story to create better representation.

I am currently helping them create a follow-up story in a package format covering the Community of Faith’s “Night to Shine” program that conducts a prom specifically for students with special needs. We plan on following one of the students attending the prom as they get ready and attend the event.

Click here to read “Advocating for inclusivity”.

Pictured are the co-founders of Bridgeland’s Disability Awareness Club, seniors Chris Chavez and Itzamar Morales-Mateo.

Photo by Ryleigh Wilson

Other Advocacy Clubs At Bridgeland

  • Female Empowerment Club

  • Ebony Excellence Society

  • Environmentalist Club

  • Asian Student Association

  • Muslim Student Association

  • Queer Straight Alliance

  • Korean Culture Club

Cultivating a Diverse Staff

Possessing diversity across a publication’s staff is imperative to reflecting the diverse makeup of the community it covers. Differing beliefs, experiences and priorities better inform us of what to talk about. For ‘The Bridge’, the staff is diverse in the fact they come from different walks of life, but more importantly, different interests. With staffers involved in band, athletics, FFA, medical rotations, theater and more, the staff is able to cover every corner of Bridgeland equitably. Every single reporter is involved in something no other staffer is, and that brings new experiences to the table to reflect into our work. Although the school is not particularly seen as diverse, having an expanded view of the school collectively as a staff has ensured diverse representation in the work as a whole.

2022-2023 The Bridge Staff

  • Haylie Stum, Co-EIC, third-year staff member

  • Grace Kirkley, Co-EIC, third-year staff member

  • Carolyn Gilbert, Copy/Magazine Editor, second-year staff member

  • Ryleigh Wilson, Features/Magazine Editor, third-year staff member

  • Matteo Caruso, Entertainment/Online Editor, second-year staff member

  • Charleigh Thomas, News/Sports Editor, third-year staff member

  • Madelyn Boyce, Reporter, first-year staff member

  • Lamiya Antaria, Reporter, first-year staff member

  • Madison Clay, Reporter, third year-staff member

  • Mallory Loera, Reporter, second-year staff member

  • Stevie Scheiffele, Reporter, first-year staff member

  • Ella Oberle, Reporter, first-year staff member

  • Upadya Jayampathi, Reporter, first-year staff member