Source Diversity

WABE seeks to be equitable and inclusive in how we cover the news and to hold ourselves accountable for how we represent the diversity of Metro Atlanta. To that end, we track the sources we use in news features, local programs and other content.

The goal of the tracker is two-fold:

• Understand who we are talking to when we seek out sources for the stories we tell.
• Determine if the representation of people we speak to aligns with the demographic composition of the Atlanta metro area.

See our latest report: January 1-March 31, 2024

There are no benchmarks for these measurements, and they vary based on what kind of news is happening; the Georgia legislative session will drive up the number of elected officials we hear from during the first quarter of every year, for instance. But the data help us to get a sense of the mix of voices on our air, and help us think critically about who we hear from. For example, we’d like to see a greater percentage of the public represented in our stories, to ensure that we are hearing from people affected by policies or laws, and not just from the officials creating and enforcing them. We will continue to work on that.

What do we do with this data? In addition to sharing it with you, we dive into it as a team, using the findings to guide our reporting. WABE is committed to engaging communities that are under-represented in our coverage and this tool helps us examine how the people of WABE reach, understand and cover the people of Atlanta.

We’ll update the tracker every quarter, sharing our progress with you. Please check back to see how we are doing and if you like, share your comments with us at feedback@wabe.org.