Alice Lenihan highlights the importance of telling stories that haven’t been told
The importance of equal representation in media was stressed today at a seminar hosted in the University of Limerick.
Alice Lenihan, Editor at Gay Community News (GCN), reflected on her experiences and lessons learned as a journalist aiming to represent all voices equally.
“If people see themselves reflected, they will want to come back for more” she stated, referring to the importance GCN places in marginalised and minority groups in society such as LGBTQ+.
The GCN editor informed students on useful practices and habits to keep in mind when reporting on marginalised or minority groups in society. “Nothing about us without us” was one example, stressing the importance of including the voices of a minority group that a journalist may be writing about.
Being mindful of diversity and inclusion in writing was a point that circulated throughout the seminar. Alice provided the students with several resources to consult while reporting on minority groups, including The Diversity Style Guide, the GLAAD Media Reference Guide, and the Race Forward Reporting Guide.
The importance of acknowledging a publication’s mistakes and engaging with the people who feel they have been misrepresented, was noted as a learning experience for the DCU graduate, who recalled a time in GCN when an apologetic statement was published regarding their coverage of Ireland’s Care Referendum.
She also covered the importance for editors to give journalists a chance, describing her positive experiences working alongside commissioned journalists who reached out to GCN.
The talk was organised by the Journalism Department in UL, as part of the Media Challenges in the Digital Age module.