Commitment to Diversity
Our Diversity Mission
Diversity and inclusion are important parts of responsible journalism because they push reporters and editors to move beyond familiar voices and perspectives. On The Oracle, this means being intentional about who we interview, what stories we prioritize and how we represent the Archer community as a whole. Archer can often seem homogenous politically, but this year, we really strived to show new perspectives. This creates accountability within the publication and helps ensure that our storytelling is more accurate, balanced and reflects the full community we represent.
Throughout my time on staff, I worked to expand the kinds of stories we covered by highlighting students whose experiences may not typically receive attention within student media. This included producing podcast episodes featuring Archer students pursuing unique paths outside of school, such as competitive athletes, and featuring transgender student perspectives. Difference of voice and opinion has always been important to me, and I wrote my Big Story in ninth grade on the importance of diverse discourse. As Co-Editor-in-Chief, I also helped incorporate conversations about representation into our editorial processes, including discussions about coverage patterns and diversity audits. While The Oracle actively works to uphold these values in practice, I also recognized the importance of making these commitments more visible and transparent to readers through clearer discussions of diversity and inclusion within our publication policies and mission on our About page.
Story Idea Form
I created this form to build a consistent pipeline for story ideas that reflect a wider range of voices and experiences within the Archer community. I was inspired by Ms. Taylor’s outreach for the Intro portfolios every year and her emphasis on listening amplifying voices that aren’t always centered. In using the reponses from this form, I hope that The Oracle is able to further show a commitment to reporting, inclusivity and community engagement. I also made the owner of the form The Oracle so responses will remain accessible through that account for future editorial boards, supporting continuity and long-term impact, hopefully helping ensure the work contributes to a lasting, more inclusive publication legacy.
How I’ve grown and coached others
In my role, I worked to actively coach writers toward more inclusive and wide-ranging reporting by encouraging them to look beyond the immediate Archer community when sourcing and developing stories. For example, I guided Ally’s coverage of the Palisades Theatre rebuilding to remain locally relevant to the Archer community while still expanding the scope of voices represented in our publication. Similarly, I supported Maia’s broadcast on Belwood Bakery, a spot frequented by Archer students but rooted in the broader local community, helping bring in perspectives outside our campus. In my own reporting, such as my Scholastic Journalism Week podcast, I interviewed Chace Beech, an Archer alumna working at Spectrum News, blending the same relevance with professional insight. I also encouraged all reporters to regularly consult our Source Tracking document to avoid repeating the same voices and to intentionally seek out a more diverse range of perspectives.
Additionally, Emily and I conducted a diversity audit of The Oracle for our May final article, analyzing whose voices were being represented across our coverage and where gaps existed. Although this audit will not be complete by the time my portfolio is published, we hope this gives next year’s Ed Board and staff concrete data to improve future reporting. By identifying these trends, they can recommend more intentional sourcing practices and story selection moving forward. The audit reinforces that diversity in journalism requires ongoing evaluation, especially as our staff grows so rapidly.