Honouring Black History Month

News outlets across the country have been reflecting on the sacrifices and contributions of people with African and Caribbean heritage in the UK. This week is also Journalism Matters Week, during which we acknowledge the work of editors and reporters in our cultural life.

“October gives us the opportunity to pay tribute to the cultural contributions and history of Black people and honour the work of journalists in bringing people together”, says IPSO’s Head of Standards, Rosemary Douce. 

Different parts of the country observe Black History Month in different ways.  

On Merseyside, the Liverpool Echo has dedicated a reporter to the task of exploring and celebrating the city’s Black history. The Echo’s Content Editor Cheryl Mullin explains:

“The Liverpool Echo has always prided itself on giving a voice to the people of the city, but we knew that it hasn’t always spoken for everyone. Two years ago, we decided to focus our efforts on making our coverage more representative of the city we serve.

“Our reporters began to make concerted efforts to build relationships within communities that had been underrepresented in the past, listening to the issues and daily challenges they faced, and telling their stories.  

“To underpin those efforts, we also invited representatives into the Echo’s office to chat with reporters. As well as sharing life experiences, we asked for frank and constructive feedback on how they felt their communities were represented in the Echo, and what we could do to support them more.

“These chats have been invaluable, and have helped to cement representation and inclusivity as core values in our journalism.

“Our reporters are now being invited into the homes and lives of communities which, in the past, had felt unsure about reaching out to us and our coverage is all the richer for it.”

The Liverpool Echo’s reporter, Katie Westwood, led coverage on Black History Month for the publication: 

“I wanted to put together a good range of stories which would appeal to different parts of our audience.   

“I started with a photo gallery entitled ‘Brilliant, Black and Scouse’ highlighting the achievements of 19 Scousers from the worlds of sport, politics, entertainment and music.  

“I produced profiles of people from the Black community who have contributed to the city’s life in some way. A piece on ‘Toxteth saint’ Pastor Daniels Ekarte really resonated with our audience and was shared widely on social media.

“We also wanted to write a longer feature for Black History Month focused on activists who changed the city for the better. I chose to write about the Liverpool Black Sisters, who did groundbreaking work in Toxteth in the 1970s and ‘80s, campaigning for better healthcare and job opportunities for Black women, and supporting them into further and higher education.  

“Many of the Sisters went on to have remarkable careers in public life. For the article, I interviewed former Black Sister Michelle Charters OBE, who is head of the International Slavery Museum. She gave some great insights into the legacy of the Black Sisters and what it meant for her to be a part of the group.”  

Bristol is home to one of the largest Black populations in the UK. The Bristol Live website and Bristol Post cover the city and wider area.  

As part of its coverage of the month, Bristol Post carried a story about a Windrush front room inside a Bristol pub. The Shakespeare pub in Prince Street has taken a trip back in time and give punters a chance to step into a ‘Windrush Front Room’, as reported by Bristol Live. 

The publication is also reporting on a series of Black History Month events which are celebrating Bristol’s sound system culture. The free events have been put together to showcase Bristol’s local Black heroes.

These themes are being explored through a photo gallery, music, talks, poetry, dance and graffiti.

The representation of diverse communities in publications demonstrates the value of journalism in   telling the stories of UK society, in which each segment plays its part in making the country dynamic.