From the Editor: Diversity makes us stronger journalists

As the Shore continues to grow in diversity, as families and races become more blended, the Asbury Park Press and APP.com are working to tell the stories from every part of our community.

The Shore is a great place to work and live, but we know there are many stubborn problems that need to be fixed. From affordable housing to taxes, to just getting the potholes on your street fixed, the Press and APP.com have a long history of holding the powerful accountable and getting government to work for you.

As the Shore changes, so does our newsroom. Our workforce profile, which we are publishing today, lets you know how the Press reflects the community. We want to ensure that we have a variety of viewpoints on our staff so we can tell the story of our diverse community with insight and compassion.

More:A diverse newsroom is critical to telling Jersey Shore stories. Here's how we're doing.

As of July 1, 2022, the racial makeup of the newsroom is generally reflective of Monmouth and Ocean counties. In the last year, we have grown in the percentage of staffers who identify as two or more races (8.2% of the newsroom vs. 2.5% at the Shore). And we are moving to bring on additional Latino staffers (4.1% this year, up from 2.2% last year, still below the community percentage of 10%) so we can continue our bridge-building work. Our leadership team is 11% Latino, with another 11% identifying as two or more races, and 22% are Black (the Shore is 4.5% Black). About 10% of our overall newsroom staff is also Black.

You can see the full demographic breakdown below.

I’m proud of the work our staff continues to do to tell of the resiliency of the human spirit; to be your watchdog over government and your tax dollars; to make leaders uncomfortable so your voices can be heard - and your problems can be fixed.

In the last year, the Press has been recognized nationally for its work in exposing housing discrimination. We’ve revealed the loopholes in health and safety laws that leave countless tenants vulnerable to deadly mold spores. We’ve fought for four years to get a common-sense police licensing bill passed so truly bad and deadly cops never again carry a badge anywhere in this country. And we’ve exposed local towns that rip off your tax dollars through sweetheart payouts to insiders.

We held a public forum online this month to find ways to end gun violence on our streets. And we tell of the successes in news, features and sports that make our community a great place to live.

We're also our best to avoid perpetuating stereotypes in the news. In our review of crime coverage last year, the Press and many other Gannett newspapers dropped the publication of mug shots and the daily drumbeat of crime news. We have focused our reporting to identify crime patterns so the community can better understand what their local officials need to do to make neighborhoods safer.

Our goal for the remainder of 2022 and into 2023 is to foster conversations within our communities — online and hopefully in person someday — where we all can identify common goals and build upon our mutual interests.

Just as the Shore keeps changing, so will the news and how we cover all parts of the community.

Let me know your thoughts on how we can pursue a full and inclusive dialogue in the weeks and months to come.

Paul D'Ambrosio is the executive editor of the Asbury Park Press and APP.com. Reach him by email atpdambro@gannett.com or 732-643-4261.