Westside Story Newspaper – Online The News of The Empire – Sharing the Quest for Excellence
Media 2070’s award-winning documentary, Black in the Newsroom, continues to screen at film festivals and universities around the nation, spotlighting the inequality many Black reporters face trying to tell the news.
The 17-minute documentary follows Elizabeth Montgomery, a Black journalist who lands her dream job at The Arizona Republic. However, her dream soon becomes a nightmare when her low salary forces her to choose between rent and groceries– while a white colleague is paid thousands of dollars more per year. The documentary sheds light on the lack of diversity in newsrooms and how this can impact Black news reporters and transform the way stories are told:
“When newsrooms are white-dominated and there is not the diversity that reflects the community or that reflects the demographics or the future of this country even, it means that stories aren’t told truthfully,” says Alicia Bell, co-creator of Media 2070.
Montgomery and many Black journalists report struggling with their mental, physical and/or financial health, highlighting a need for change across the industry.
A trailer for the documentary can be found here. Montgomery, Bell and other reporters are available for interviews.
For more information or to request a screening of Media 2070’s Black in the Newsroom, visit https://blackinthenewsroom.com/.
