Column: What diversity means to us at The Oklahoman

A few years ago, I noticed a trend in conversations when diversity was mentioned. Some people got turned off or tuned out. To them, the 'D word' meant a Black versus white issue — another conversation about race they didn’t want to have. Disturbing as that may be, it became clear that as a news organization, The Oklahoman needed to do a better job about reporting on diversity in our city and state.

Racially, the state is more diverse than many realize. Thirty-nine Native American tribes call Oklahoma home, 9.7% of our population; 11.7% of people who live here are Hispanic; 7.8% Black; 6.6% of mixed race; and 2.7% of people of Asian and Hawaiian/Pacific Islander descent combined. On paper, those numbers don’t look like much, but walk the streets of our metro areas, and our racial diversity is obvious.

More:Gannett newsrooms making steady progress in overall diversity

Minority communities have complained for years about the disproportionate way they’ve been represented in the media and by public institutions that are supposed to represent their interests. And we agree. Our work should illuminate systemic issues in institutions and help dismantle the othering of communities. And it should not perpetuate negative stereotypes and normalize harmful language that diminishes any community. We believe that everyone benefits from knowing how issues affect individuals and communities differently. It informs how solutions for better social and economic outcomes may be achieved. 

That’s why we are committed to sharing stories like the community-involved effort in northeast Oklahoma City where collective memories and experiences will influence how planners and architects revitalize a part of the community after decades of underinvestment.

It’s why we cover stories about hundreds of people who came to the Capitol to raise awareness about missing and murdered Indigenous people and issues that can hamper or stall investigations about these cases. It’s also why we report on not only the state’s position in the complicated McGirt case but also the tribal perspectives.

It’s why we cover Asian and Hispanic festivals, Juneteenth, celebrations for Pride Month and issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community. It’s also why we reject language that dismisses or diminishes any of these groups.

It's why we reimagined our approach to opinion and created an entire section to amplify Oklahoma voices from across the state.

It's why, as an immigrant, I feel personal pride when we do stories about immigrants thriving and contributing to this city's economic and cultural richness. I take pleasure in reminding detractors that at Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, about 28% of people researching causes and treatments for diseases that may affect them or a loved one are foreign-born. And if you're sick and need care at OU Medical Center, someone from an underrepresented minority is likely to be your caregiver. More than one-third of the more than 7,700 workers at OU Medical are minorities.

More:The Oklahoman's staff became more diverse in 2022

We recognize we can do our part to right historical wrongs. That's why our coverage of the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre included an award-winning graphic novel from eyewitness accounts with details appropriate for all ages.

But in our newsroom, diversity is more than about reporting on racial issues. We have adopted a 7-pronged approach that aims to better represent communities statewide. Reporters are tasked with expanding their source lists so more stories can include voices that represent gender, sexual orientation, generation, class, urban and rural communities and physically impaired individuals. We strive to ensure community voices are represented in stories about issues that impact the community about which we're writing.

In our newsroom, embracing Oklahoma’s diversity and being inclusive is not about political correctness. It’s the right thing to do. The right way to be. Exclusion and intolerance have been a cancer on society for far too long, so we strive to do our part in the experiment to create a more perfect union.

Clytie Bunyan is managing editor for diversity, community engagement & opinion.