Because diversity is a core value at the University of Nevada-Reno’s Donald W. Reynolds School of Journalism, it is addressed in a number of courses and is now the focus of our upper-division “Race, Gender and Media” course, which covers LGBT issues.
The class attracts students from our news, advertising and public relations sequences. It includes a historical overview of media images and a modest introduction to content analysis.
Much of what we find in history and content analysis is inaccurate and stereotypical, and it's important for students to understand why that's a problem. We therefore spend significant time analyzing the social impact of stereotypes. But a journalism school shouldn't stop with teaching students how to recognize inappropriate content. That's a critical skill, but it's most valuable when it leads to the production of accurate content.
As the “Race, Gender and Media” syllabus states, "Our work should make you a more discerning media consumer. More important for a journalism school, it should make you a more accurate and effective media professional."
For that reason, the class concludes with projects that showcase students' ability to get content right. Last semester's projects included broadcast stories on local women in broadcasting, on issues in Reno's Tongan community and on a local bilingual newspaper. Some students produced print stories on how newsrooms attempt to diversify and on issues for Muslim women who cover in the workplace. Others developed a marketing campaign for our campus Queer Student Union.
As a relative newcomer to our faculty, I have only had one opportunity to teach “Race, Gender and Media.” I am looking forward to developing it further in the fall, and I am delighted that the class is fully enrolled.
