commitment to diversity

Arlingtonian’s staff is made up of writers, designers, photographers, artists, business managers, and editors, each contributing distinct skills to the publication. From sophomores to seniors, our newsroom brings together students who bring different experiences and roles within the school community.

Diversity in journalism is not just measured by who is in the room, but by whose voices are on the page. Working within a largely homogeneous school and community required effort to look beyond what was right in front of me and ensure Arlingtonian reflected a wide range of perspectives and identities. In reviewing our coverage last year, I noticed that while teachers, administrators, and students are valuable sources, our reporting relied too much on the same voices.

One of the most effective ways I strengthened inclusive reporting was by introducing an interview tracker for feature stories. Before writers could move forward with the interviewing process, editors reviewed the tracker to gauge whose perspectives were represented and if we have interviewed them before. The tracker became a tool for accountability, where writers could ask themselves questions about whose perspective they were missing and how they could broaden the scope of their reporting. During pitch meetings and one-on-one check-ins, we talked about ways to expand interviews beyond familiar school contacts by reaching out to community members, alumni, local organizations, and experts connected to each story. This encouraged writers to move beyond convenience, resulting in more multidimensional storytelling.

Example of interview tracker I made to ensure stories showcased a range of voices.

In addition to diversifying sourcing, I also worked to broaden whose stories were featured on our pages. This year, I introduced three new columnists to better reflect the range of interests within our student body. In previous volumes, a significant portion of Arlingtonian was dedicated to sports coverage. While athletics remain an important part of our school culture, I was wanted to balance our coverage with consistent space for arts, music, food, and student spotlight columns. In Volume 89, these sections expanded the definition of whose stories belonged in our magazine.

Songs of the Season, written by Arts and Music Columnist, Aiden Joly.

Grant Nichols: A Plane Person, written by Student Spotlight Columnist Matt Schmersal.

Link to folder with all three stories here.

Fruit Farm Festivities, written by Food Columnist, Claire Dungan.