Ever Wonder How Newspapers Find 'Regular People' to Quote?

That’s just one of the questions posed to readers by the Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers – in partnership with the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) – in an appeal to spur sign-ups for a new Reader Sounding Board. The Sounding Board, a list of about 200 readers, will work to “improve their community” as well as the paper’s coverage of the community. They’ll do this by expressing their views, whether on neighborhood issues or the presidential race.

STCN joined the NAHJ’s Parity Project in December 2005. Based on the goal of increasing hires of Latino journalists and improving newspapers’ coverage of Hispanic communities, Parity provides a newsroom with training in cultural awareness. The process begins with a townhall meeting around the paper’s coverage of the Hispanic community and then helps the paper tap into a database of Latino journalists when hiring opportunities arise. This three-pronged strategy, which MTF has supported since 2003, has reaped benefits to numerous print and broadcast entities. Most notably Parity’s first partner, the Rocky Mountain News, has doubled its Latino reporters in two years. Twenty-five companies are now participating. For more information, visit NAHJ’s website at www.nahj.org.