The Rise of DEI in the Newsroom: An Open Discussion with PAN Communications and the Media

Reporters from Forbes, The Washington Post, HuffPost and Bloomberg Law will discuss the impact social justice movements have had on the media and next steps for the industry

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--PAN Communications, a leading integrated marketing and PR firm for B2B tech and healthcare brands, today announced it will host a roundtable discussion with reporters from Bloomberg Law, The Washington Post, Forbes and HuffPost on the impact diversity, inclusion and equity is having on the newsroom. Moderated by Ashley Waters, Director of Media Relations at PAN Communications, the panelists will explore how media outlets have looked inward to make changes to their own efforts and how those changes have affected storytelling across the media.

Joining PAN Communications virtually on March 26, 2021, will be the following panelists:

• Ayanna Alexander, Social Justice Reporter at Bloomberg Law
• Lahaja Furaha, Director of Diversity and Inclusion at The Washington Post
• Ali Jackson-Jolley, Assistant Managing Editor at Forbes, focusing on diversity, equity and inclusion
• Emily Peck, veteran journalist who’s covered business, economics and gender inequality at HuffPost and The Wall Street Journal and cohost of Slate’s Money podcast

News outlets across industries have paid more attention to covering DEI and brands have pivoted to look at earned media through a purpose-driven lens. As the catalyst for news, this change is critical for media outlets who have the ability to put important messages in front of wide audiences and can help amplify diverse opinions and voices to the public.

This discussion will cover a range of topics including the change in hiring practices of media outlets, how they have shifted the way they cover DEI in the news, critical next steps for the industry, the need for diverse voices and stories, and how the narrative is expected to continue to change.

“Diversity, equity and inclusion is an issue that many companies have traditionally stayed away from,” Waters said. “That changed in 2020. It became a topic that businesses could not afford to avoid having real conversations about, looking inward and committing to make real change where needed. We saw this reflected in newsrooms and the way the media told DEI stories. This is such a critical and timely topic, and I’m thrilled to listen to each of these impressive panelists and learn from their own experiences and perspectives.”

Join PAN Communications and these esteemed panelists on March 26 from 1-2 pm ET by registering here.

About PAN Communications

PAN Communications is a mid-size integrated marketing & PR agency with over 150 employees internationally. With over 25 years of experience, PAN helps companies transform ideas into captivating stories that align to emerging and late-stage growth strategies through the firms NXT Stage approach. Headquartered in downtown Boston, PAN has additional office locations in San Francisco, New York, Orlando and London. The agency’s teams are positioned to help brands emerge in new markets and scale globally, with experience driving integrated strategy across a variety of brands like Citrix, White Ops, Payoneer, GYANT, OneStream, Radial, athenahealth and Smartly.io. For more information visit our website at www.pancommunications.com follow us on Twitter (@PANcomm).