BOSTON – One of the many questions for our culture posed by the racial reckoning of 2020 was how the media can rectify the racial harms that they have perpetuated. One answer to this call was The Emancipator, a nonprofit digital magazine based in Boston.
At the 2024 SPJ Region 1 Conference, four individuals from The Emancipator came together to describe their experience and strategies for one of Boston’s most unique and pioneering newsrooms.
The Emancipator of 2024 is a reimagining of another, historic abolitionist paper called The Emancipator established in 1820. The new Emancipator follows from the strategies employed by its namesake to help combat racism and inequality through its journalism.
Jamil Smith, the editor-in-chief; Cristal Balis, the special projects and marketing lead; Alex LaSalvia, the digital producer; and Melissa Clavijo, the social media producer, spoke to an audience of SPJ conference participants about the first two years of The Emancipator.
An important aspect of the publication is their social-first approach, meaning that they meet audiences where they are; on social media.
“We don’t see social media as a route for people to go to our website, we see it as a place where our community can interact and learn and engage with others as well,” said Clavijo.
Another strategy employed by The Emancipator is showing audiences the people behind the journalism that they are consuming. Videos where Emancipator journalists and collaborators are featured can help make audiences feel closer to the stories, according to Clavijo.
“I feel like video, it’s a great way to make your audience know that they can see themselves in the people who are writing for them,” said Clavijo.
Another unique part of the Emancipator’s approach is a commitment to collaboration with other newsrooms.
“If you are with a publication or you’re a student, know that this kind of media is out there, and we are out here trying to not just make a difference by ourselves,” said Smith. “We want other people to be anti-racist in their reporting.”
Beyond producing commentary on race and racism in America, The Emancipator also engages directly with the community through events and organizing.
During the panel, a video was shown from The Emancipator’s Racial Reporting Convening, an event where multidisciplinary journalists who report on race came together to discuss how to equitably cover communities of color.
After highlighting the different efforts within their newsroom, each member of the panel was invited by Smith to share what they have learned at The Emancipator that they feel has been helpful.
Clavijo described a method used by The Emancipator called “solution circles”. These spaces offer an opportunity for the journalists to reconnect with their sources after a story has been published to see what other angles were possibly missed.
“Once you have that connection with the people you’re writing about, that really takes your work to another level,” said Clavijo.
LaSalvia, who began at The Emancipator right out of journalism school, told the audience about the publication’s radical approach to seeking truth.
“I think it was really helpful for me to join a newsroom that recognizes how objectivity can be weaponized, intentionally or not, to discount other people’s experiences,” said LaSalvia.
To Balis, joining The Emancipator has demonstrated how it is filling a need.
“I would say the thing that I’ve learned is how desperately this industry needs something like The Emancipator to try to change the industry,” said Balis.
For Smith, The Emancipator has been an opportunity for collaboration.
“Everyday we’re strategizing how to do our work better and more efficiently, and I think that especially if we are able to grow going forward, it is only going to get better,” said Smith.
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