WalesOnline
With many people in this area being first generation migrants, they are less likely to be able to navigate the system to get their voices heard through formal channels. That is why covering these communities is such a passion for us. If stories from these places are not heard, how can the failures of public bodies to help them be spotlighted and held to account? It was with this in mind that we wrote our piece on Riverside in Cardiff. This area has the highest levels of child poverty in Wales and our reporter spent six weeks in the community speaking to 100+ people from dozens of countries, sitting in cafes, supermarkets, parks, food banks and religious centers simply to listen and understand. There was little trust in the area when we started this piece. That is why we spent so long building trust and listening. The aim wasn’t to write the story we wanted to tell, but to write the story the community wanted told. It doesn’t shy away from the massive problems the area faces. But it dealt with them with compassion, it reflected the human beings behind these figures. No one has ever gained this level of access into this most iconic of Cardiff communities, no one has even attempted it, and this piece gave them a voice they feel they’ve never had. Though large pieces like this are important, what brings real meaningful change is the continued coverage of communities. We have done this consistently for years and the piece about Tiger Bay Amateur Boxing Club is a great example of this. What pieces like this do is not just represent an area, but show young people in a far more positive (and frankly accurate) light than what the prevailing narrative for young people can often be. Whether it be a woman coaching other women while wearing her niqab or finding young people a job this is an example of the positive stories from minority communities in Wales we continue to spotlight. So much of our coverage of minority and under-represented communities covers the challenges and issues. Of course there is a place for this but it is disingenuous to only cover a community when there is a problem. This is why we are so proud that we have Wales' only reporter dedicated to the LGBT+ community and we produce our annual Pinc List (now in its eighth year) recognising the LGBT+ people in Wales who have done exceptional things. It is a monumental effort to put together but it is a vital part of our effort to comprehensively cover all communities in Wales.