VTDigger recognizes that the people we talk to determine which stories we tell and how they are told. Ultimately, who we choose to cover informs who we serve.
Participants in our recent community listening project shared with us that Vermont media should do a better job including the perspectives and experiences of diverse communities, including BIPOC Vermonters, multilingual, rural and low-income people, and people with disabilities.
We agree. And we understand that a key strategy to be more inclusive and equitable in our reporting is to broaden and diversify our sources, the people and places we turn to for information.
As a part of our efforts to expand our sourcing practices, VTDigger has chosen to undertake a source audit. Source audits can give newsrooms a baseline of information, show where they’re falling short and help them set goals and measure improvement.
We are proud to be participating in a cohort of news organizations selected by the American Press Institute to track the demographic backgrounds of people quoted in our stories using a tool called Source Matters.
VTDigger is looking at race and ethnicity, age, gender, sexuality, income, education, disability status and county of residence, as well as how we select sources. Individual responses will not influence our reporting, nor will they be shared publicly in any way.
We are grateful to our sources for participating and the American Press Institute for supporting this project to improve our reporting for all Vermonters.
Questions? Reach out to us at contact@vtdigger.org.
