Antiracist Journalism - by Andrea Wenzel

About the Book

Andrea Wenzel provides a critical look at how local media organizations in the Philadelphia area are attempting to address structural racism.

Book Synopsis

Across the United States, newsrooms are grappling with systemic racism in their organizations and the media industry. Many have implemented diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives or made other attempts to confront past and present biases in pursuit of greater equity. Are such efforts merely performative, or are any transforming norms and power structures? What would it take to hold newsrooms truly accountable?

Andrea Wenzel provides a critical look at how local media organizations in the Philadelphia area are attempting to address structural racism. She focuses on two established, majority-white newsrooms, the Philadelphia Inquirer and the public radio station WHYY, and two start-ups where at least half the staff identify as Black, Indigenous, or people of color (BIPOC), Resolve Philly and Kensington Voice. Drawing on more than five years of field research, Wenzel charts how these outlets have pursued a range of interventions--such as tracking the diversity of sources, examining reporting and editing practices, and working with community members to gain input--to varying degrees of success. Wenzel argues that institutional and systemic transformation will be possible only through the establishment of structures that facilitate holding those with more power responsible for listening to and addressing the needs and concerns of those with less. Offering recommendations for building infrastructure that enables sustainable accountability, Antiracist Journalism is an important book for everyone interested in making local journalism more equitable.

Review Quotes

Highly recommended.-- "Choice Reviews"

Antiracist Journalism is a reflection of the ethic of care that Andrea Wenzel lives out every day as a journalist, researcher, teacher, and community member. The insights she draws from Philadelphia's built media environment are a powerful guide for journalism stakeholders--from community members to corporate leaders to philanthropic organizations--who are committed to addressing the harms of erasure and mischaracterization wrought through decades of unexamined professional practice.--Meredith D. Clark, founding director of the Center for Communication, Media Innovation, and Social Change, Northeastern University

Antiracist Journalism offers a pathway toward disrupting mainstream journalism in the hopes of a better-informed democracy. Read this book if you care about how journalism can be problematic and--more importantly--how we can fix it to be more inclusive and relevant. Wenzel's commitment to conducting rigorous community-based research in concert with practitioners shines forth in her analyses. She has written an important book--both reflexive and brilliant.--Sue Robinson, author of How Journalists Engage: A Theory of Trust Building, Identities and Care

Deeply researched and beautifully written, Wenzel's masterful account of Philadelphia's antiracist media initiatives is an invaluable contribution to journalism studies. Her call for reimagining newsrooms to become more equitable is a timely and vital argument. Essential reading for anyone who believes in building a truly multiracial democratic society.--Victor Pickard, author of Democracy Without Journalism?

About the Author

Andrea Wenzel is an associate professor at Temple University. She is the author of Community-Centered Journalism: Engaging People, Exploring Solutions, and Building Trust (2020). A former journalist, she cofounded the Germantown Info Hub and has been a fellow with Columbia University's Tow Center for Digital Journalism.