Do You Really Want to Say That? Q&A on Inclusive Writing With Janet Stovall
June 20, 2024, 3:00 pm-4:30 pm ET
ASJA, DEAIAs writers, we have the power to shape perceptions that can disrupt or reinforce stereotypes. Inclusive writing helps avoid perpetuating harmful narratives and biases faced by historically marginalized groups, while also enabling us to create content that resonates with a broader audience by intentionally including a range of lived experiences when sourcing stories. In this session featuring Janet Stovall of Pragmatic Diversity, moderators and ASJA DEAI Co-Chairs Gabrielle Gayagoy Gonzalez and Leanna Lee will delve into the nuances of inclusive writing lifted up by ASJA members, such as exploring language choices, sourcing, and managing pushback from editors. Topics include the use of pronouns, when to capitalize mentions of race, how to write about older adults, writing about addiction and ableism, and more.
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Do You Really Want to Say That? Q&A on Inclusive Writing With Janet Stovall
In dual roles as Global Head of DEI at research and cognitive science firm, NeuroLeadership Institute, and founder of DEI consultancy, Pragmatic Diversity, Janet Stovall specializes in shaping and implementing realistic DEI visions and strategies that drive change and build culture. Janet’s three TED talks and features about getting serious about inclusion have collected more than 2.5 million views. Ragan Communications named her one of the Top Women in Communications and a Diversity Champion. She is the co-author of Amazon bestseller, The Conscious Communicator: The Fine Art of Not Saying Stupid Sh*t, an objective guide to help p professional communicators navigate the subjective waters of DEI and social justice communications.
Leanna Lee is a future of work and disability writer-journalist who specializes in small business, DEAI, and mental health content. A disabled writer, she advocates for work and health equity, remote work, and workplace accessibility for both freelancers and full-timers. She is Co-Chair of the American Society for Journalists and Authors’ (ASJA’s) DEAI Task Force. In 2023, she created The Chronic Worker/Chronically Self Employed, a blog and newsletter by and for disabled workers and their employers. Lee is also the co-founder of Bettermental, a mental health podcast for small business owners which she hosts with speaker and corporate wellness specialist, Mike Veny.
Gabrielle Gayagoy Gonzalez is a Filipina American writer and Co-Chair of ASJA’s DEAI Task Force. She was named to Diversity Woman Media’s Power 100 List and is a co-author of Racial Justice at Work: Practical Solutions for Systemic Change. She is co-managing editor of the online publication The Inclusion Solution and a co-host of The Inclusion Solution LIVE podcast from The Winters Group, Inc., a Black women-owned global diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice consulting firm. Her writing has appeared in Shape, Self, Women’s Health, and Seventeen.