The Herald-Journal newsroom is committed to inclusive coverage of our diverse community

Engraved on the Herald-Journal's brick wall, just before you enter the building, it says, "Dedicated to the people's right to know." 

That is certainly one of the most important, bedrock objectives of our publication.

One of our other standards, also deserving of an engraving, is, "Dedicated to the mission of helping all voices be heard." 

We must be more attentive to diverse communities in Spartanburg. We can do this by listening to you.

We want our team of journalists to be representative of - and watchdogs for - our diverse community. 

We are planning to add a breaking news reporter to our newsroom staff, giving us a team of six reporters covering Spartanburg. Just three months ago, that team had only four reporters. Our new staffer will help us better cover public safety and the judicial system. 

When we begin evaluating candidates for that position, we will be looking for someone who reflects the make-up of our diverse community.

Our staff is small, but it is inclusive. Right now, our leadership team is diverse with a Black journalist and a Latino journalist among our four-person leadership team. 

But we recognize we can do better.

Today we are publishing a newsroom census that looks at the diversity of our staff as it compares to the community we serve. This is part of our pledge to be transparent about who we are.

We will continue to strive to be good stewards and servants of our community. 

Two of our newsroom staffers are proudly from Spartanburg County.

I'm from just across the North Carolina border, and I've lived and worked in Spartanburg for three years. My wife and I can't imagine calling anywhere else home.

Everyone on our staff shares the same love for the Hub City and its people. 

Speaking of back home, one of my fondest work experiences was a yearly community event called Connect, Commit to Change. Our newspaper, The Shelby Star, hosted the event. Over several years, we were able to personally and professionally link thousands of people with various agencies and groups in an effort to boost volunteerism and philanthropy. 

In the era of COVID-19, hosting an event like that in person may be difficult, but our wheels are turning on ways to have a virtual "Connect" event here in Spartanburg. 

We also plan to host a series of virtual forums through the end of the year. And when South Carolinians can gather again in groups, we hope you'll invite us into your communities so we can hear your stories and help you tell them better. 

And while our downtown office may not be back open, our email boxes always are. You can find a list of our staff email addresses on our website. Let us know what's important to you and your community that may not be - but should be - on our radar. 

This year, we have emphasized coverage of communities that have been under-served by local media. 

Although the circumstances were horrifying that led us to write a series of stories about the Little Africa community, we were glad to help uplift the voices and tell the story of the history of one of the oldest Black communities in the county. We want to be better about telling those stories before and without prompting by a criminal act.

When we wrote about the Broad Street Black Lives Matter mural, we spoke directly to the artists about what was on their mind and hearts as they planned and painted their colorful letters. 

It has now been six months since the February tornado swirled from west-to-east Spartanburg, leaving millions of dollars of damage in its wake. We spoke recently with people and wrote about those who continue to struggle to rebuild their homes, churches and businesses. 

We recognize these stories are just a snapshot of the ground we need to cover in order to better serve Spartanburg's diverse communities. 

We pledge to listen to your concerns and can't wait to hear and tell your stories. 

Gabe Whisnant is news director of the Spartanburg Herald-Journal. His email address is gwhisnant@shj.com.