Examining media’s proximity to power in covering diaspora communities

Hi folks, 

Thanks to the people who attended our second workshop for the People’s Handbook for Diaspora Reporting! We were excited to see participants from diverse beats and fields including an anthropologist, a sustainability and fair trade expert, a communications researcher, and a cybersecurity reporter.  Dr. Pallavi Guha, a participant in the project, is researching Asian Indian American women audiences during election years in the U.S. and how political journalists frame their engagement in news discourses. If that sounds like you or someone you know, sign up to chat with Pallavi here. 

We had a rich discussion on ICE alerts, ethnic media (and whether or not to differentiate ethnic media from media as a whole), to community-driven tech and local resistance, we examined the extent in which power — and journalists’ access to those in power — influences coverage on migrant communities. Just like in our first workshop, participants called for more nuanced, accountable storytelling that centers dignity, agency, and lived experiences. In one breakout group, a Chinatown community organizer based in Philadelphia talked to a reporter covering Chinatowns in their region and how they felt about the challenges to representation both in and out of newsrooms. 

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Here’s a TLDR in case you missed it.

📢 “Journalists aren’t stenographers”
 

Kristine shared the story of Auntie Lynn, a Filipino green card holder and legal U.S. resident for 50 years who was detained by ICE after a trip abroad visiting family. She reflected on the emotional urgency behind stories like hers, which led to a broader conversation about the role of local media and amplification of local organizing as essential tools for survival. Journalists have the power to deem which issues, actions, and protests are worth covering, even if communities already see certain causes as worthy for mobilization. 

Auntie Lynn’s story prompted discussions on objectivity. Who has power? What’s the context behind why communities are organizing and why is it important to them? Traditional newsrooms might feel extremely selective in what protests they cover, often fearing a lapse in objectivity. 

But what happens when the framework that objectivity as neutrality flattens power dynamics, erases nuance, or treats issues such as ICE arrests as matter-of-fact or neutral? 

It’s an age-old question but still worth pointing out: 

Whose objectivity are we centering? And what does dignity look like in coverage of our communities?

Related read: In the middle of our call, we got word that Auntie Lynn was freed from ICE detention following coordinated actions across the country. 

📱 Surveillance, safety, and everyday resistance

• Participants pointed out how national media often only shows up in places like El Paso, TX during election cycles. This shapes community distrust, especially when coverage doesn’t reflect lived realities. Outlets like El Paso Matters are shifting that narrative through transparency, accountability, and community collaboration. 

• The threat of ICE isn’t new in border towns like El Paso. Communities have created their own communications ecosystems to keep each other safe. One participant shared a story about a 15-year-old girl whose phone alerts her and her friends when ICE is nearby so they can warn their parents. That’s media, too: a grassroots system of urgent, life-saving information sharing. Participants discussed the heavy emotional burden this creates for children of immigrants, including fear that missing an alert could lead to a parent’s deportation. What would it be like to tap into these networks, especially with sensitive topics like immigration, while also prioritizing community safety over getting the story? 

Related read: The American Press Institute wrote a piece on the power of intergenerational storytelling on how it can effect change in their communities. 

🌍 Global context, local impact

Lastly, we explored how U.S. coverage of international issues often replicates state narratives. One example: Turkish diaspora communities working to correct misinformation by sourcing and sharing their own media. The takeaway? Reporting on diasporic communities must also account for transnational politics, not just U.S. migration assimilation frameworks. Journalists need better due diligence when referencing international sources and community members are often already doing the work.

Participants asked: Where’s the due diligence in U.S.- based  journalism that just republishes or takes international news directly from outlets? 

Related read: A study published last year from the Center for Media Engagement at the University of Texas, Austin found ways diaspora organizations combat misinformation on encrypted messaging apps. 

💡Additional convos 

• In places like Chinatowns, where threats of development or displacement (e.g., new prison plans or stadium construction) overlap with histories of surveillance and marginalization, how can coverage stay rooted in local knowledge and not extractive reporting? One group discussed residents of Philadelphia’s Chinatown, who organized against a 76’ers arena. Earlier this year, Comcast pulled out of the deal. While it was cause for celebration for communities organizing against gentrification, one Chinatown organizer felt that there wasn’t accountability from local news for city representatives who did not stand with Chinatown residents who feared displacement. How can journalists ensure that continued accountability remains a priority, even during moments of victory or joy? 

• We asked: Where do our communities get their information? Often, it’s not from mainstream media. Participants highlighted the power of ethnic radio, group chats, and community messengers that operate in real time and in different languages. We highlighted news organization Conecta Arizona, that has a Spanish-language WhatsApp group that delivers verified updates on both U.S. and hometown news. It’s casual, accessible, and trusted, especially in moments when mainstream media fails to meet people where they are.

That’s all we have for you this time! We’ll announce our next workshop in a few weeks after the steering committee meets and we come up with a community engagement and crowdsourcing plan to present to stakeholders (you!) before finalizing next steps. We hope you have a great start to your summer. 

Until then,

Your steering committee

• Kristine Villanueva

• Diara J. Townes 

• James Salanga 

• John Hernandez 

• Ashley Okwuosa