This interview has been edited for clarity.
My title is Editor so I am basically in charge of the newsroom. I make sure we're balancing our breaking news, enterprise and investigative responsibilities well. In addition to that broad oversight of the newsroom, I work with our multimedia team. So, a little bit everything.
It's got to be about engagement. There's no longer a need for the one way conversation that so much traditional media has had. Events are just a unique opportunity not only to present content but to also get people in various communities, for us it's across the state, to engage. So we hold on average about one event a week.
We want to make sure that everyone who is impacted by state politics and policy has a voice. The festival is the culmination of all of these events. What we want to do is provide a place where Texans from every walk of life to have that kind of access. That's why events are such a big part of our mission.
It's really about the attention to detail. Obviously as a copy editor you're checking facts and grammar and things like that — and it's very important. But as a copy editor, you are the first real reader of a story before it goes out to the public and that's an important role and responsibility.
That's the chance to ask the questions that other people are going to ask and find potential holes in a story that no one else saw before you. Ultimately, my role is to make this not look stupid. That's not a responsibility to take lightly.
I'm the son of immigrants who moved to the U.S. in the '60s and '70s. Me having that perspective, there's things that I see a little bit differently than several of my other colleagues. So, being in that position which I'm grateful for, I can speak to certain things that folks can't whether it's about immigration policy, education or opportunity.
I grew up here in the American school system so a lot of my experience is shared with my colleagues but at the same time, I can bring a unique perspective based on what my parents went through and what other relatives have gone through. That's my approach to making sure that there are certain voices that may not always be in a story or be thought of that I could suggest. That's one way I try and bring a new perspective.
I think an important part of this is in the fellowship process. We're trying to build up our recruiting budget so we are sending people to all the various journalism conferences whether it's NAHA, NABJ or AAJA. That's just an opportunity that you can't afford to pass up when it comes to building diversity.
By having those relationships and put our faces out in different places, like these conferences, we're able to meet folks and see who's interested and who would be a good fit and be a great match for us.
Ultimately what diversity is about is being able to see the stories that no one else is seeing and being able to see the gaps in the system that no one else is looking for.
On the full time job side it's a little bit tougher because we don't have a lot of turnover here. So what we are trying to still go to these conferences and build relationships with folks not necessarily because we have a job for them but for down the line if there's an opportunity that comes up we're not just relying on people we know who could fill the job right away. We want to make sure we're keeping as deep of a pool as possible. It's tough.
We're also trying to change the way, here at the Tribune, we assess applicants. We have a diversity initiative in terms of making sure there's leadership within our staff to make sure when we're going through a hiring process that we are casting as wide of a net as possible.
Hiring is not easy. It can be very time consuming and painstaking process. Sometimes it can feel natural to just kind of get it over with. But because we're building this process in place we have folks who are making sure that we are addressing these questions when it comes to assessing candidates and reaching out to candidates. Because of that we are finding ourselves being able to have a better diversity within our candidates.
There are great South Asian journalists all across who are going through the same things. That's where you can rely on an organization like AAJA say if you don't know anyone because that's part of what they exist to do is to drive those type of support services. As do the other organizations.
I have found that journalism is a pretty amazing and supportive community.
Even now, I still deal with a lot of assumptions and stereotypes about who I am and what I may or may not be good at. It's extremely frustrating because that has nothing to do with me and what I offer as a person or as a professional. I'm not the most vocal about those things so it's still a challenge for me to call it out in the moment. I do think it's important to find other journalists though these organizations. I'm fortunate that I have a couple of South Asian colleagues here who deal exactly with the same kind of stuff I deal with so we kind of have our own informal support group where we kind of have our own jokes and stories.
Ultimately what you're trying to do is get diverse people into your office. That's not just about race, gender or age. It's all of the above. The most important thing, depending on the organization, is to make sure diversity is addressed at every access point to your organization.
When we have events, we're going to places we may not think of going and reaching out to groups who might not normally go to our events and to be at places where they can easily get to at times they can easily make. That to me is a huge part of our outreach and efforts to build diversity not just within the people we employ but the people who use, read, engage with or advocate for our content. If we're doing that at all those different access point to the Tribune then, it's not going to be a fast process but, it's going to be a process that hopefully keeps us on the right track.
Think about what your passion is. Think about the place that's doing the work that you want to do. Don't just apply to a place because they have an opening but because you could see yourself working there one day. And when you apply, let them know why you could see yourself working there. Let them know why this place is worth your time to apply and why you are worth their time to consider.
And, make sure you're not just talking about yourself in your application but you are talking about the organization. Make sure that what you are expressing is a mutually beneficial relationship because that's what's going to stand out is when people can see you fitting in not just because you match a certain skill set but because you have a passion for what you do and where you do it. That passion rubs off in those applications. That's what helps applications stick out.