Here is how Delaware Online/The News Journal continues to diversify coverage of the First State

The USA TODAY Network, made up of more than 200 local publications including Delaware Online/The News Journal and USA TODAY, has published a report that shows our progress toward diversifying our staff and coverage of The First State.

And I'd like to update you on how we're doing in Delaware. 

The makeup of our staff fluctuates throughout the year as we hire staff members to replace those who have moved on. This official census takes a snapshot of just one day. You can read that in the link below.

But this doesn’t tell the whole story of our efforts to diversify. As I write this column, more than 20 percent of our current staff or those soon coming on board self-identifies as Black, Asian or Hispanic. And while we still have work to do, we’re pleased with the progress our newsroom has made in recent years.

And our commitment to diversity is so much more than numbers. We have made efforts across the newsroom to better reflect the state we serve. These efforts include:

Several years ago, we created an underserved communities reporter position and have added a second person to that team. These reporters write about issues large and small and spend more time in neighborhoods. Here are a few examples of that team’s work.

Check out these examples from Anitra Johnson:

More: Handcuffed while giving birthWhy mother's giving birth in Delaware's prisons are handcuffed

More: Why do more trees equal less crimeWhy is there less crime in areas with more tree cover?

And these from Jose Ignacio Castaneda Perez:

More: Neighborhood's resurgenceHow a restaurant reopening is a sign of neighborhood's resurgence

More: Prenatal healthcare is not equalWhy all Delaware mother's don't have access to the same prenatal healthcare

Jose has left Delaware Online/The News Journal for our sister site in Phoenix Arizona. But we’ve recently hired Cameron Goodnight out of the Baltimore area to fill his position. Cameron starts at the beginning of August.

We participate in diversity internship programs run by the Maryland, Delaware, DC Press Association and the Delaware Community Foundation. Through these programs, we brought in Siera Jones as a sports intern and Donovan Aldridge as a photo intern.

We’ve revamped our crime coverage to focus on larger issues and the impact on the community. As part of this effort we have stopped using mug shots and stopped writing about minor crimes. You can read about it here in an article I co-authored for the American Press Institute:

More: New approach to crime coverageNews Journal leads a new way to approach crime coverage

Here’s a good example from Esteban Parra:

More: Public almost left in darkHow public almost never learned of officer's excessive force incidents

And another from Isabel Hughes:

More: Young boys shot in crossfireFamilies of shooting victims want answers: 'Why would you want to kill our babies?'

Delaware Online/The News Journal has also created a Digital Advisory Group, an initiative to better understand and reach new communities or communities that otherwise would not read our content.

And we have an entire staff of reporters and editors who are committed to telling Delaware’s story, holding those in power accountable, and serving as the state’s watchdog.

Thanks for your support.

Mike Feeley

Executive Editor