Toya Webb
The Daily Herald has created a Diversity Advisory Panel to better represent our suburban mosaic and help us broaden our understanding and coverage of diverse communities.
Our inaugural group is made up of people from varying walks of life, ages, experiences, various ethnic, racial, religious, educational, professional and public service backgrounds.
As Diversity Editor, I will be leading this volunteer panel of advisers to help us identify what we do well and where we can improve in better representing the communities we serve.
The panel’s mission is to help the newsroom identify stories about underrepresented groups and to better reflect them in our coverage, keying in on the important issues affecting those communities, as well as to help monitor our coverage for matters of sensitivity and accuracy.
The 13-member panel will interact in private group conversations, giving feedback on various topics to the newspaper’s editorial staff.
Here are our advisers:
- Toya Webb
Age: 42
Hometown: Barrington
Background/community involvement: Chief marketing and communications officer at Elgin Community College, certified life coach. Past or current member of: Diversity and Inclusion committee, Public Relations Society of America-Chicago; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, National Council for Marketing and Public Relations; ethics chair, Public Relations Society of America-Chicago; small group leader, Willow Creek Community Church; Elgin Community College Transition Academy youth mentor.
“Everybody has a story. However, not everyone sees themselves accurately represented in the stories that we tell. And these are not stories exclusively told by the media, but stories that we tell one another and even ourselves. As a former reporter, I understand the important role that journalism plays in informing and oftentimes influencing societal perceptions.”
Read about the 12 other Daily Herald advisors here.
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