Conundrums: Are mainstream media outlets outing gay reporters?

[kweerwolf]

As a gay man who primarily writes for a gay publication, I wasn’t quite aware of some of the workplace dilemmas my cohorts face while working for mainstream media organizations. As gay journalists come out of the closet in their place of employment, they are compelling the news industry to answer a number of prickly and ethical questions that may result.
For example -- should gay reporters be excluded from covering gay issues because our presumed bias to the story? If a news organization allows gay reporters to cover gay related content, should it also require reporters to disclose their sexual orientation when they cover these issues? How far —I f at all — should gay reporters distance themselves from events staged by or having special significance to the lgbt community, like our annual pride parade and picnic? How far does obligation go to the reader?

I always wondered why it wasn’t more of a news item for mainstream media when thousands of citizens pack a city park for an afternoon of frivolity. Anyway, you might be surprised at what is actually happening in pressrooms around the country. I know one thing that is true. There aren’t enough out gay journalists employed by mainstream news outlets in America in 2006.

When I brought this subject up with a few journalist friends, they said their editors wouldn’t hesitate putting a gay or lesbian reporter on a gay story for a mainstream media outlet, as long as they could do the job. But then again, none of my friends identify as gay, and as far as I know, there aren’t any “out” gay journalists in their media organizations. The term they used was “gay friendly reporter,” believing that such a person can bring an insight and sensitivity to a gay story much the way a woman reporter would cover a breast cancer article. It seems reasonable to think that such a person brings a skill and the ability to dialogue with the newsmakers. They also would have an inherent knowledge of the community. To me, that is just good assignment editing and news reporting. However, for some news organizations, nothing could be further from the truth.

Author and national correspondent for the Atlantic Monthly, James Fallows suggests that simply checking the copy of a gay reporter about “rampant homophobes” to ensure fairness and balance isn’t going far enough. He feels reporters should disclose their sexual identity to readers, viewers, sources, editors, and listeners. If not, they should be assigned other topics to write or talk about. He stops short of publicly saying gay people should not be writing for mainstream media at all.

http://www.gayalliance.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=288&Itemid=53

OK ... so to be fair, heterosexual reporters can no longer write about heterosexuals since they might be biased. Oh puh-leeeeeez!

[BattyDem]

1. If we follow this logic , then ...

Women shouldn't write about women ... men shouldn't write about men ... Christians shouldn't write about Christians ... Hispanics shouldn't write about Hispanics ... Democrats shouldn't write about Democrats ... New Yorkers shouldn't write about New Yorkers ...

WHERE THE F*CK WOULD YOU DRAW THE LINE??? :shrug:

Oh wait ... let me guess ... the "rule" would only apply to gay people. :eyes:

[readmoreoften]

2. whoa.

it's all I can say tonight. sometimes it just hits me how much these people hate us and it freaks me out.

[kevinbgoode]

3. The press has long protected people's religious beliefs

in reporting - in fact, there are possibly many reporters out there who are members of wingnut christian organizations who are allowed to stealth their way into reporting stories (with a nice touch of bias) on subjects which they would personally claim to be highly objectionable. And yet newspapers have done very little to identify these people, or even admit the inherent bias in their reporting. Years ago, they would fire a gay reporter if he was a member of any gay organization; however, you couldn't lose your job for being a member of the 700 Club. While that has changed some over time, the outrage is still that, when certain groups claim religious beliefs allow political activism, the newspaper hasn't screened their reporters for those biases.

Frankly, I find gay reporters have a much higher level of ethics than many of their hetero counterparts - after all, straight people aren't as used to self-examination on everything in their lives and social interaction. They inject bias without even knowing it's bias.

[xchrom]

4. there is such overwhelming straight male bias in reporting

that anyone suggesting that gay folk list their orientation when reporting is bizarre.

this guys hate is running way, way out in front of him.

it's a straight world -- a straight unverse -- what more do they fucking want?