Why tech needs more inclusive storytelling platforms

By Jennifer Cloer

When I first started working in tech, I was asked to pitch a tech news story to a list of reporters. It was a list of 60 people and all of them were men. In my beige-colored cubicle with high walls, I ducked my head and started researching their media sites and nearly every beat reporter, managing editor, editor and sales manager was a man. My first few pitches even resulted in flirtatious responses welcoming the new, young, female PR flak. 

As our industries begin to mature and cultural norms change for the better, our storytelling platforms need to both represent the increasing diversity in our tech communities and elevate important voices we haven’t heard from before. They also need to consider, more than ever, the lens through which they’re seeing a story. 

Melinda French Gates recently announced her divorce and was met with vitriol on Twitter and tabloid-like thrash in a variety of media outlets, directed mostly at her and not her soon-to-be ex-husband Bill Gates. Why do we continue to treat women this way? Why can’t our media platforms represent the realities of being a woman in our culture? I want to know things like how Melinda arrived at that decision, how she’s nurturing her children and herself during this time and where she will focus her business and philanthropic work next - - not whether or not she was naive to bless Bill’s weekends with Ann Winblad or, even worse, whether or not she is well. 

Of course, she’s well, even if going through a vulnerable moment. She’s a strong, intelligent woman and mother. It’s incredibly likely she’ll weather this storm in her life better than her spouse. Let’s tell those stories.

We’ve been very intentional about the Story Changes Culture storytelling brand. We sought to develop a neutral color palette and treatment that would create a welcome and inclusive connection with our community. But it’s not just the visual representation of a media platform or brand that matters; it’s the ideas and perspectives that are shared that are most important. We prioritize stories and perspectives from feminine, BIPOC and LGBQT voices so that we can advance ideas and discussions that elevate all of us. It doesn’t mean that cisgender, white men’s voices aren’t important (we welcome their contributions on our site); it means that it’s long past due to create some equity, inclusion and balance in who is telling stories.

As Dawn Jones Redstone told me when I interviewed her this month for her film MOTHER OF COLOR: “If we want our stories told, we have to tell them.”

Jennifer Cloer