Race, Youth and an Issue of Stereotypes

The girls' conversation took my breath away. Why seek out children that young to quote about gunshots and fireworks without more context? It left me feeling that the children were vulnerable and wondering if The Post should be quoting children that young when their parents or other adults aren't around.

Features Editor Ann Gerhart said Word on the Street intends "to drop in deeply on a moment, an issue, a fragment of the way we live now. It is verbatim, on the record, with names and gets people to share how they feel about something that matters -- an economically presented vivid discourse. We hoped to give a powerful voice to youngsters who are often voiceless and invisible."

In that context, the children's quotes succeeded in telling readers how normal it is for children in that neighborhood to hear gunfire. I talked to several black journalists at The Post; two initially winced at the dialect, but most found the quotes authentic, down-to-earth and not racist.

My reaction might have been less negative if there had been an introduction to readers about what Word on the Street is intended to be. Still, an article with more context would have asked the girls whether they were frightened by gunshots and told how many people had been killed or wounded by gunfire in their neighborhood and quoted adults who work with children there.

Johnson said, "If we made it a story, it wouldn't have had the raw power." She contacted each of the girls' parents, who gave their assent; some said that it was good for readers to hear what the children had to say.

One last comment: The Post's "Being a Black Man" series goes a long way toward reporting beyond stereotypes. The Justin Jenifer story could have been a part of that series as well.

Deborah Howell can be reached at 202-334-7582 or atombudsman@washpost.com.