Covering Culture

Hit a universal theme, sprinkle in cultural details

hrashid — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 14:17:11 -0700

Several years ago, I wrote a story about the first team of deaf cheerleaders being selected to participate in the biggest cheerleading competition on the West Coast, at Disneyland.

In terms of culture, this story taught me two important lessons:

Go Beyond the Sights and Smells at Ethnic Festivals

hrashid — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 11:30:16 -0700

It's summertime, fellow journalists. It's hot, school's out, the news cycle is slower, and it feels as if your editors dispatch you to a hokey festival every weekend.

When Culture is Sadly Overlooked

hrashid_user — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 10:13:17 -0700

My newspaper, the San Jose (Calif.) Mercury News, has written hundreds of stories over the years about a large group of Vietnamese-Americans in San Jose, who lately have been lobbying to name a retail shopping strip area after the former capital of their ancestral homeland.

The raging debate has been whether to name the area "Little Saigon" or the "Saigon Business District."

Pay Attention When Cultural Beliefs Are Part of Crimes and Courtroom Dramas

hrashid — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 14:02:54 -0800

Cultural belief systems can provide a motive for committing a crime, shape the rituals for mourning a victim, or explain what's behind a legal conflict. Recognizing how culture and religion can play a part in such events will make you a better reporter.

Here are three examples of what I mean.

New Approach to Increasing Cultural Diversity in Journalism, Cover it like a Beat

hrashid — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 14:05:48 -0800

Lots of reporters know how to cover beats like cops or City Hall. A crime happens, you call the police and victims to get the story. The city's council's weekly agenda comes out, and you attend the meeting and write a story about a new law being passed.