Talking Race: A New Approach, Dallas, TX 2002
Partners:
In “Talking Race: A New Approach,” WFAA wanted to do just that – try something entirely new in encouraging discussions about race. Intrigued by the concept of “video boxes” – portable, self-contained, user-activated TV cameras that have shown an ability to elicit amazingly candid remarks – the station placed its version of the devices in shopping malls in the Dallas area and asked people two questions: What do you think of race relations in America? When did you become most aware of race?
The station used the responses as a jumping-off point for a three-part series and an interactive Web page. It also shared the responses with the Dallas Morning News, which used the “interviews” on the cover and several inside pages of its Sunday Reader section on the first day of the series, Sunday, June 30, 2002.
In addition to the video boxes, the station invited public response to its questions on race through the Web page www.wfaa.com/dialogureonrace. The Web page also asked users to answer one of the following questions: “As a person of color, what responsibility are you willing to take to help reach better understanding between the races?” or “As a white person, what responsibility are you willing to accept for past racial injustice and apply toward a better understanding between the races?” Nearly two dozen non-whites answered the first question and 30 white users answered the second. The full responses were posted on the site along with several of the unedited video box responses, links to other sites, the three-part series and an interview with a Utah-based academic who developed the “Mutual Responsibility Theory” of race relations. The page received 5,000 visits during the three days of the series.
To extend the reach of the series even further, the station involved two talk radio hosts – one with a largely African-American audience on KKDA-AM and one with a largely white, conservative audience on WBAP-AM – in its effort to foster constructive dialogue on race. Both hosts agreed to feature the Mutual Responsibility Theory as a topic for their morning drive shows on Tuesday, July 2.
The final installment of the series documented how the calls to the two stations went from knee-jerk opposition to the idea that all races have some responsibility for improving understanding to more thoughtful, reasoned responses and even some on-the-air soul-searching. Even the conservative radio host ended up urging listeners to reach out more so that “familiarity replaces the unfamiliarity that leads to racist feelings.”
Contact:
PJ Ward
Field Producer
WFAA-TV
606 Young Street
Dallas, TX 75202
Phone: (214) 977-6542
Email: pjward@wfaa.com