ju s t ou t ▼ September 19. 1 9 9 7 T i l
They Were th e" ‘ pr ' '
It Was the Worst of times
13108938
Nudging the media
The NLGJA confab in August set its focus
on encouraging fairness in mainstream reportings
leaving some queer journalists frustrated
▼
by Rex Wockner
M
ore than 400 members of the Na­
in the newsroom.”
tional Lesbian and Gay Journal­
At one session, media coverage of the Andrew
Cunanan story was criticized.
ists Association plotted to im­
prove media coverage of the gay
“It’s homo-ignorance,” said Liz Tracey of the
and lesbian community during
Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.
NLGJA’s sixth national conference “It’s
held not
in Chi­
outright prejudice, but simply not know­
cago from Aug. 28 to 31.
ing the community well enough to tell a story that
And they did so in an environment of warm
doesn’t come off as homophobic.”
welcome from the mainstream media. Speakers
This year’s convention offered more work­
included popular syndicated columnist Molly
shops related to on-line journalism and use of the
Ivins, National Public Radio host Scott Simon,
Internet, as well as issues involving journalists
Cable News Network anchor Bernard Shaw, San
who work for the lesbian and gay media.
Francisco Examiner managing editor Sharon
But several gay and lesbian press staffers said
Rosenhause, and John Brecher, an editor with the
they still feel like NLGJA’s unwanted step-chil­
Wall Street Journal.
dren.
Asked if news organizations do a better job of
“The amount of gay press participation is very
covering gay issues fairly and comprehensively
low,” said Drew Rapp, managing editor of the
when they have openly lesbian and gay staff,
Front Page, in Raleigh, N.C. “I just spoke with
Rosenhause said: “If you have an all-white news­
one of the [candidates for NLGJA president] and
room in a multicultural city, that’s a problem.”
told her that I was voting for her almost solely on
A job fair featured booths representing, among
the basis that she mentioned the gay press twice in
others, the Los Angeles Times, Dallas Morning
her statement. It’s one of the few times I’ve heard
“
There's two things in society that create change—legislation
and public opinion, said Michael Frederickson, NLGJA’s
executive director. “This organization is dedicated to
uncovering and revealing mistruths about our community,
about lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual lives, and looking
fo r fair and balanced coverage in the newsroom.
”
”
News, Washington Post, Denver Post, Gannett
the gay press acknowledged here. I’ve gone to
Newspapers, New York Times, Chicago Tribune,
several workshops and almost without exception
Arizona Republic, Atlanta Journal-Constitution,
they forget that their audience includes the gay
San Francisco Examiner and Philadelphia In­
press.”
quirer.
He added, “What frustrates me is that the
The convention program contained ads from
discussion still [revolves around the question of]
ABC News, ABC
how gay issues
Inc., NBC News,
should be covered in
CBS News, the Or­
the media. I’ve
lando Sentinel, the
heard a lot of sug-
Boston
Globe,
3 gestions
come
Knight-Ridder
§ up...people saying,
newspapers, Enter­
I ‘Well, there needs to
tainment Weekly, the
¡2 be this kind of story
Houston Chronicle
I written, there needs
and the Hearst Corp.
I to be this kind of
“Ideally what’s
> work done.’ Well,
happening here and
œ we do it every week.
what happens when
§ and it’s frustrating
people go back home
d to be in the audience
is that in an everyday
? saying, ‘It’s there,
sort of unsplashy
3 you’ re just not read-
way, print and broad­
¡3 h ing our paper.’ ”
cast coverage of gay
NLGJA
has
people, gay issues,
o 1,200 members and
gay com m unities
H 1 21 chapters. One of
and other subjects in Columnist Molly Ivins spoke at the conference
the group’s projects
which gay people
is a “Stylebook Ad­
have been otherwise invisible is interstitially be­ denda on Gay and Lesbian Terminology,” slated
coming more visible day by day in a very worka­
for release later this year.
day kind of way,” said NBC Nightly News pro­
According to a press release, “Copy editors
ducer Barbara Raab.
are educated [via this addenda] about outdated
‘There’s two things in society that create
words, replacing them with more sensitive and
change—legislation and public opinion,” said
preferred terminology.”
Michael Frederickson. NLGJA’s executive di­
If the project succeeds, there could well be a
rector. "This organization is dedicated to uncov­ decline in mainstream media use of phrases like
ering and revealing mistruths about our commu­ “self-avowed homosexual," “admitted homo­
nity, about lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual
sexual,” “practicing homosexual,” “gay lifestyle”
lives, and looking for fair and balanced coverage
and “special rights for homosexuals.”
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