Classroom Diversity

Inclusiveness in communication skills classes

ADPR 5920 (PR Communication) Course objectives

– Strategic thinking before writing– Styles and formats

Typical topics– Lectures on strategies for working with

reporters, using research to inform writing– Skills labs (news release, fact sheet, PSA)

Adding diversity to the mix

Beginner– Including multicultural names and faces

Intermediate– Thinking about diverse publics

Advanced– Questioning the concepts

Diversity for beginners

Use examples that include people from different population subgroups

Beginners

When creating assignments or providing examples, include names of different ethnic origins

Beginners

Bring in guest speakers who represent different population groups, even if they don’t talk about diversity per se. Suchita Vadlamani,

Fox 5 morning anchor

ADPR 5920 guest lecturer

Nadine Randall, BellSouth

Intermediate level

Make assignments that require students to learn about different kinds of people

Sample assignment

Write a pitch letter that tries to convince editors to assign a reporter to interview someone about the UNCF’s campaign to help the affected schools.

Background: United Negro College FundToday, of the approximately 65,000 students UNCF supports at about 900 colleges and universities, some 60% are the first in their families to attend college and 62% have annual family incomes of less than $25,000. UNCF provides operating support to 39 member historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), which helps the member schools keep tuition down to a rate 54% lower than tuition at other comparable schools….

Intermediate

Ask students to conduct research on different target populations

Intermediate

Bring in guest speakers who can talk about race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, etc.

Example: Enrique Carrion

Guest lecture on gatekeepers

In class:– Questions about

editors’ preferences in dealing with PR people

– Questions about the Hispanic community in Athens

Out of class:– Paper on

gatekeeping– Must include

examples about targeting a bilingual news publication

Advanced level

Rather than assuming differences, question or problematize concepts relating to race, gender, sexual orientation, age, etc.

“Problematizing” differences

Q&A with Enrique– “What are some of

the problems for Latinos in Athens?”

– “The same problems everyone has: housing, education, consumer issues…”

Enrique Carrion

Questions and comments