2nd Edition
Cross-Cultural Journalism and Strategic Communication Storytelling and Diversity
Built using the hands-on and pioneering Missouri Method, this textbook prepares readers to write about and communicate with people of different backgrounds, offering real-world examples of how to practice excellent journalism and strategic communication that takes culture into account.
No matter the communication purpose, this book will help readers engage with difference and the concept of fault lines, and to identify and mitigate bias. It provides guidance on communicating the complexity inherent in issues such as crime, immigration, and sports, and understanding census data gathering methods and terms to craft stories or strategic campaigns. Above all, the book encourages readers to reconsider assumptions about race, class, gender, identity, sexual orientation, immigration status, religion, disability, and age, and recognize communicators’ responsibilities in shaping national discussions. This new edition addresses the ever-changing political and social climate, differentiates excellent journalism from punditry, and shows the business value of understanding diverse perspectives.
A fantastic introduction to this complex but important field, this book is perfect for students, teachers, and early career communicators. The combintion of a hands-on approach and pull-out boxes with the diverse voices curated by editors María Len-Ríos and Earnest Perry make this an ideal text for the classroom and beyond.
Cross-Cultural Journalism and Strategic Communication:
Communicating About Diversity
Table of Contents
PART I: CONCEPTUAL GROUNDING
Chapter 1 – Conceptual Understanding
Earnest L. Perry and María E. Len-Ríos
Chapter 2 – Talking Across Difference
Keith Woods
Chapter 3 – Who’s American?
Saleem Alhabash, Carie Cunningham and Anastasia Kononova
PART II: APPLICATION
Chapter 4 – Making Class Matter: Journalism and Social Class
Ryan Thomas and Marina Hendricks
Chapter 5 – Gender and the Media: Envisioning Equality
Yong Volz and María E. Len-Ríos
Chapter 6 – Mass Media and the LBGT Community
Gary Hicks
Chapter 7 – Missing in Action: Religion in Mass Media Markets and News
Debra Mason
Chapter 8 – Reporting and Strategic Communication Across Borders
Beverly Horvit and Yulia Medvedeva
Chapter 9 – Immigrants and Immigration: Reporting the New America
Melita M. Garza
Chapter 10 – Achieving Excellence in Crime Coverage
Earnest L. Perry
Chapter 11– The Complexity of Disability
Chad Painter
Chapter 12 – Rx for Communicating about Health Inequalities
Amanda Hinnant and María E. Len-Ríos
Chapter 13 – Talkin’ ‘bout My Generation: Understanding Generational
Differences
Teri Finneman
Chapter 14 – Telling—and Erasing—Diverse Stories in Sports
David Welch Suggs, Jr.
Chapter 15 – Next: Where Do We Go From Here?
María E. Len-Ríos and Earnest L. Perry
Biography
María E. Len-Ríos is Professor of Public Relations and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Georgia. Before earning a doctorate in Journalism from the University of Missouri, she worked in advertising/public relations and marketing in Atlanta. She taught the cross-cultural journalism course at Missouri for ten years.
Earnest L. Perry is Associate Professor of Journalism Studies at the Missouri School of Journalism and Associate Dean for Graduate Studies. Before earning a doctorate in Journalism from the University of Missouri, he worked as a newspaper journalist in Texas, Connecticut and Illinois. He is the lead instructor of the cross-cultural journalism course at Missouri, which began in 1998 and was one of the first required journalism diversity courses in the country.
Praise for the Previous Edition:
"Respecting difference and interrupting implicit bias are paramount skills for any communicator, especially journalists and public-relations professionals. Cross-Cultural Journalism will help students with both. This book—with its range of cultural and industry expertise—will make students aware of their responsibilities as mass communicators and open their hearts and minds to the complexities of the communities they are supposed to serve." —Andrea Otanez, University of Washington
"Cross-Cultural Journalism provides just the right mix of scholarly and professional insights needed to match my approach to teaching journalists and strategic communicators about diversity. The contemporary examples used throughout the book are great." —George L. Daniels, The University of Alabama
