ABSTRACT
Journalists cannot help but see any story through the lens of their own experience. Marquita S. Smith, associate professor at John Brown University and former editor and reporter in many newsrooms, explains an important conceptual tool called the Fault Lines, which was developed by the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education. By using the Fault Lines of race, class, gender, geography, and generation, journalists can better understand the limits to their own perception of events, people, and policies, and how to widen the lens.
