"Navigating Identity in Broadcast News" with Dr. Kris Vera-Phillips

Description
Journalism can sometimes be a difficult job, but what makes it difficult can differ widely depending on who you are. On this episode, I talk with Dr. Kris Vera-Phillips about her recently published article, “Don’t Risk Your Life’: How BIPOC Journalists Navigate Identity, Newsroom Routines, and Safety in U.S. Broadcast News,” which was published in Journalism and Media in March 2026. Vera-Phillips is a former broadcast producer who studies the differing experiences of minority journalists. We talk about her findings and what they mean for transforming newsrooms to be more supportive places for all journalists, including minority ones.

Chapters

00:00 Opening

01:11 Introduction and Journey into Journalism

06:51 Transition to Academia

10:27 Her Research on BIPOC Journalists

13:15 Digging into Her Study: Don't Risk Your Life

15:13 Journalists Rewarded for Willingness to Absorb Risk

19:46 The Burden of Safety is on the Journalist

21:28 Specific Challenges for Journalists of Color

22:34 Mental Health and Support in Journalism

25:05 Building Resilience

27:13 Dealing with Racialized Attacks

33:04 Differences in Expectations Between Journalists and Management

36:32 Reimagining Newsrooms

41:02 Other Research in the Works

42:47 Conclusion

43:02 Closing

Show Notes

Learn more about Dr. Kris Vera-Phillips here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/krisvp/

Southern Methodist University, Meadows School of the Arts
https://www.smu.edu/meadows

Access Dr. Vera-Phillips article here:
https://www.mdpi.com/2673-5172/7/1/64

Other elements mentioned during the show:

Medill School of Journalism:
https://www.medill.northwestern.edu/

Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication
https://cronkite.asu.edu/

Next Generation Fellowship (NPR)

https://nextgenradio.org/
PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs
https://studentreportinglabs.org/