10 education journalists share their biggest wishes for EWA

What do education reporters most need from the national nonprofit dedicated to education journalism?

By Alexander Russo

As the Education Writers Association (EWA) meets in Orlando for its 75th annual National Seminar starting this weekend, the organization itself faces major change.

Longtime executive director Caroline Hendrie is stepping down after 12 years at the helm, and a solid chunk of her senior staff is either moving on or on sabbatical.

This seems like a good time to ask EWA members what they’d most like to see the organization do moving forward.

Longtime readers already know my belief that the board requires additional diversity, the awards process needs fixing, and the public editor position needs to be renamed (or expanded). But it goes beyond just those specifics.

In a time of upheaval, education journalists need more than career and skills help. They face an ever-expanding beat, a crisis of confidence in education, growing questions about traditional practices in journalism, and increasingly critical readers.

By taking clear positions and establishing strong priorities, EWA could be much more of a leader in helping education journalism grow and improve. In so doing, EWA would complete the transition from a traditional dues-reliant membership association into an independent voice for high-quality education news.

What do education reporters and editors most want? Some want EWA to keep doing what it’s doing. Others call for substantial new approaches and ideas. Here’s a sample of EWA members’ ideas to strengthen the organization going forward. Thanks to all the editors and reporters who shared their insights!

LOCAL-NATIONAL COLLABORATION

The best thing about journalism today is the opportunity for collaborations between news organizations. I’d love to be connected with local reporters who’d want to team up, giving them access to the resources and reach of a national news organization and giving national reporters the important perspective that can only come from reporters who are living and working in the communities they cover. – Erin Einhorn, NBC News

CONSERVATIVE VIEWPOINTS

I’d like to be exposed to a broader range of political and policy views. I’d like to hear more arguments and research from conservatives as well as progressives. – Jill Barshay, Hechinger Report

“I’d like to hear more arguments and research from conservatives as well as progressives.” – Jill Barshay, Hechinger Report

GET MEDIA ORGS TO PAY ATTENTION

Let everyone know education is an important beat that deserves as much respect and resources as politics, business … dare I say sports. It touches every family and is the bellwether for social justice and equity. Media organizations need to be reminded. – Sarah Karp, WBEZ Chicago Public Radio

KEEP HELPING THE NEWCOMERS

With so many early career education reporters, I think EWA might go beyond the New to the Beat mentoring program and offer more basic “how to” seminars for young reporters. – Liz Bowie, Baltimore Banner

DIVERSITY IN ACTION

Diversity has to be something you do rather than something you talk about…The more you make diversity about action rather than words, the better off, I think, we’ll be. – Jamaal Abdul-Alim, The Conversation

“Let everyone know education is an important beat that deserves as much respect and resources as politics, business … dare I say sports.” – Sarah Karp, WBEZ

DIVERSIFYING THE COMMUNITY

Continuing to promote the diversity of the education reporting corps is vital, and it would be fantastic to see EWA’s community diversified as well. On that note, something that might be worth discussing is whether the organization can support journalists from underrepresented demographics in advocating for their needs in their own newsrooms, where we may lack strength in numbers. – Beth Hawkins, The 74

COMMUNITY FOR JOURNALISTS OF COLOR

As some newsrooms put resources into the recruitment and retention of journalists of color, I wonder if the EWA can also play a part in creating a community for education journalists of color? I appreciate EWA’s diversity and inclusion task force advising the board on this topic. Additionally, articles on the Latino Ed Beat blog on the EWA website have been helpful. Perhaps there is a way to expand on this and keep it updated more frequently? – Catherine Carrera, Chalkbeat Newark

SMALLER PANELS, HANDS-ON LEARNING

At conferences, I prefer smaller panels where there’s an opportunity to learn about a topic more deeply from one speaker or listen to a debate between two people… I enjoy hands-on workshops where you can learn by doing, from data analysis to internet searches to writing style. The best way for students to learn in the classroom is by trying it themselves and it’s also a good way for education reporters to become better at their craft. – Jill Barshay, Hechinger Report

“Continuing to promote the diversity of the education reporting corps is vital, and it would be fantastic to see EWA’s community diversified as well.” – Beth Hawkins, The 74

STEADY LEADERSHIP

My hope is that the organization continues to help set the agenda for coverage, training, and nurturing young journalists in small outlets through conferences and other opportunities, while plumbing the depths of movements that have developed over the years, helping to distinguish between the fads and the reforms that have the potential to bring lasting, positive change. – Dale Mezzacappa, Chalkbeat Philadelphia

DEEP DIVES

I am anxiously awaiting the return of the subject-specific, deep-dive seminars. Those were particularly invaluable to me. I would also be interested in having them be as future-focused as possible – looking at things we might want to be covering months ahead. – Beth Hawkins, The 74

TRACKING PORTAL

The more I use data in my reporting, the more I think it would be helpful to have a site that compiles new data sources for reporting as they emerge — pandemic trackers on closures and spending of relief funds, but also measures of learning loss, poverty statistics, state finance systems, and more. It seems like there are new resources all the time and it would be useful to have an easy way to find them. – Linda Jacobson, The 74

“Sometimes we get caught up in the craft of ed writing but really we ought to be paying a fair amount of attention to the formats and platforms we use to share our writing with the world.” – Jamaal Abdul-Alim, The Conversation

MODELS AND PLATFORMS

Pay close attention to and get familiar with different journalism platforms or “models” and what they mean to our field… Sometimes we get caught up in the craft of ed writing but really we ought to be paying a fair amount of attention to the formats and platforms we use to share our writing with the world. What are the brilliancies and efficiencies of various models, be it nonprofit journalism orgs or some type of start-up that has a really niche audience? – Jamaal Abdul-Alim, The Conversation

REAL-WORLD COLLABORATION

I think it would be great to promote ed reporters in cities or regions to meet up regularly to talk shop and to promote a less competitive environment in exchange for one where we all want as much good education journalism as possible. – Sarah Karp, WBEZ Chicago Public Radio

BOOST UP THE CAMARADERIE

I’d find it super helpful if EWA continued to find ways to connect reporters in both formal and informal ways, whether through caucuses, social groups, committees, etc. as well as put together programming that could provide resources or advice about our profession like mental health tips for reporters, how to pitch stories to editors who might not be focused on education, best practices for protecting yourself from harassment from readers/parents/Twitter trolls alike, etc. – Meghan Mangrum, Dallas Morning News

Previously from The Grade:

Tough questions for EWA (aka Three White Guys In A Row)
Frank conversations about race at #EWA20 Day 1
The EWA awards process is broken. Here’s how to fix it.
A different kind of public editor (interview with EWA’s Emily Richmond)
An open letter to education writers (by Sarah Carpenter)
The state of the education beat? Mixed. (2021)
Survey reveals diversity and independence challenges (2016)