Module 2 – September 7. 2025
In today’s digital age, the intersection of attention, diversity, and media consumption is more critical than ever. Johann Hari’s Stolen Focus chapters 4–5 delve into how our ability to concentrate has been compromised by multiple factors.
Hari emphasizes how the design of digital platforms prioritizes increasing engagement rather than depth. This closely aligns with the concerns that were raised in Nieman Reports, “Why Newsroom Diversity Works,” about the importance of diversity in newsrooms.
Since forever ago, newsrooms have undergone scrutiny for their lack of representation, which is directly reflected in the content that they release, fueling a cycle of misrepresentation and stereotyping.
No matter how many times this issue is addressed, there is little to no initiative to combat this issue.
But one example I found interesting was when BuzzFeed recognized its lack of Latino readership and responded by tailoring content that reflected the community’s interests, such as immigration stories and bilingual articles.
This not only grew Latino engagement but also created a space where Latino journalists felt represented.
Including diversity in media creation is essential to ensure that engaging content reaches a broader audience. Moreover, actively setting standards that will help retain people of color in the industry will empower them to have more influence on decisions about what gets published.
With this, we will not only ensure more inclusive representation but also create a media landscape where diverse voices help shape the narratives that reach us.
Moreover, the article “I Have Forgotten How to Read” from The Globe and Mail further emphasizes this point when they illustrate the personal challenges individuals face when they attempt to stay focused within an overstimulating media landscape.
By promoting diversity in digital media, we can create content that resonates with a variety of groups of people and keeps them intrigued. This is especially needed in developing a closer connection between us and the content we consume.
I thought it was important to acknowledge diversity within media when it comes to the ways online platforms fragment our attention, because when Hari mentions that all this frenetic digital interruption is “pulling our attention away from our thoughts” and pushing us into “a constant stimulus-driven, stimulus-bound environment, moving from one distraction to the next,” it reminded me of how easy it is for biased narratives to dominate our feeds.
Diversifying the newsroom and professional media spaces is not just about filling seats with people of color but ensuring they are supported in reshaping how they are represented on social media, turning shallow engagement to meaningful narratives that reflect our society.
XIOMIDIA 