The NLGJA Journalists Toolbox is designed primarily to assist journalists who don’t normally cover the LGBT community.
The advice is drawn from outside media experts and our own members who are professional journalists for both mainstream media and the LGBT press. We also offer story ideas and new ways of thinking for reporters who are experienced in covering LGBT life.
“Is Sexuality Part of the Story?” offers tips for asking about orientation or gender.
Here’s an excerpt:
“Good storytelling requires descriptive language and informative detail about our subjects. Is the story about poor migrant farm workers or wealthy investment bankers? White single mothers or African-American married couples without children?
“These details are important cues for our readers/viewers. But even though labels can be instructive, they can also be detrimental — to the subject of your stories and to the notions of fairness and accuracy. Thus, reporters should be careful when identifying members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) community.”
Click here to read the complete article.