Improving Your "Cross-Cultural" Investigative Story

Poynter Fellow Victor Merina says that including minority and under covered communities can be difficult at times, especially in investigative stories. He suggests the following techniques to incorporate diverse and relevant viewpoints into reporting.

Do some thinking first -- Don't just plunge ahead and start calling "community leaders" and community sources asking unfocused, insensitive questions. Think about what you are investigating and why you need to look into a particular community.

Be aware of'your own biases or attitudes -- Experience and knowledge shapes our personal viewpoints and can even enhance our story. While we strive to keep personal views out of stories, we also need to recognize any bias toward a culture.

Do your homework -- Read prodigiously, talk to people and spend time in the community, not only when you are seeking an interview.

Widen your research -- Don't just rely on old clips, obvious newspaper, or internet sources. Be exhaustive and creative in your search by reading special interest publications, ethnic media, community newsletters, obscure reports, and academic journals.

Seek out special databases and other sources that focus a community -- But when you do, doublecheck the data and be mindful of the viewpoints of any group involved in a controversial issue, such as immigration.

Talk to experts and "community leaders" but don't be dependent upon them -- Talk to scholars and experts of a given culture but don't accept their views unchallenged. Talk to "real" people in addition to those who purport to speak for the community.

Find a listening post and listen -- Go where people talk about what is going on in a community. It could be a barbershop, a community center, a refugee shelter, a church, a bowling alley, a pool hall, a coffee shop. Just find it and keep your ears open.

Utilize a guide -- Find someone in the community who can act as an intermediary, put sources at ease and help you avert any cultural landmines.

Tailor your interview techniques to a given culture -- A source who does not answer your question directly or look at you may NOT be hiding something or Iying but merely reflecting his/her cultural tradition. Know how to ask questions and elicit answers.

Learn the language or find someone reliable who does -- If you use an interpreter, remember that translations can be limited, even skewed.

Be aware of your publication/broadcast outlet's own history with this community -- Doing so will prepare you for any criticism from potential sources. Those complaints (e.g., why has your paper ignored our community for so long) may, in fact, be justified.

Don't make assumptions about an individual, a group, or a community -- Making assumptions and betraying your ignorance could cost you an important source.

Find a safe place to discuss the diffcult -- Find a friend or colleague you can talk with frankly and honestly about the tough questions regarding race, ethnicity, or another culture.

--Victor Merina

Victor Merina is a Ford Foundation diversity fellow working for Poynter from New York. A key contributor to the Poynter.org, Victor maintains Diversity Update, a weekly feature that highlights some of the current or recent stories on race/ethnicity, race relations, gender, sexual orientation and faith/religion that have been published or aired.