NJ.com’s Mosaic amplifies underrepresented voices, celebrates N.J.’s diversity

New Jersey’s diversity isn’t just a statistic — it’s the heartbeat of the state, making it a vibrant and dynamic place to call home.

I’ve been proud to call the Garden State my home since I moved from the Golden State more than 25 years ago. California is diverse without a doubt. But honestly, I met more people from around the globe and the U.S. in my first year here than I did when I lived there – and I was a member of the International Students Club at my community college.

You don’t have to go far in this densely populated state of nearly 9 million souls to immerse yourself in the colorful mosaic of cultures, languages and traditions that has fostered innovation, community and celebration no matter where you are.

It’s why the NJ Advance Media newsroom created in 2023 a new vertical that strives to elevate people, places, things important to communities of color. Its mission also aims to give voice to Jerseyans who’ve been marginalized or historically on the edges of society.

“Mosaic is emerging as a vital part of NJ Advance Media’s content strategy, just as we envisioned when we launched 18 months ago. We knew that people of color needed a forum that spoke to them,” said Ronnie Agnew, general manager of NJ Advance Media, which produces the content for NJ.com and The Star-Ledger. “Our goal is to amplify their voices through stories that celebrate their achievements and bring to light their challenges.”

In recent months, Mosaic has grown its online home at NJ.com/mosaic, where you’ll find coverage of racial and ethnic groups, veterans, the LGBTQ community and people with disabilities. It also examines through reporting or guest commentary income and health inequities in the state. Within the mix of stories is a variety of articles elevating the arts, entertainment and food in these communities.

In addition to a team of talented reporters, we rely on contributions from a deep bench of freelancers, guest columnists and key New Jersey news partners, such as NJ Spotlight News and Chalkbeat Newark.

Yvette Ousley, the editor in charge of Mosaic, is an accomplished former Philadelphia Inquirer editor whose career has been defined producing impactful journalism and telling the stories of diverse communities with empathy.

“The beautiful thing is that our reporters aren’t limited to where they can go and what they can do around the state,” she said. “If team members find good stories, they write them. The goal is to ensure that we are telling stories that matter about our diverse communities, celebrating their unique cultures, acknowledging their accomplishments — and keeping them informed on key issues affecting their lives and families.”

In its essence, Mosaic has been an advocate and watchdog for the state’s most vulnerable communities while offering service journalism that provides ready-to-use information, such as:

Immigrant support: N.J. to offer ‘concierge services’ for skilled immigrant workers
Community upliftment: How one woman is uplifting her community, one sister at a time
Legal assistance: Trenton barbershop helps community members clear criminal records
LGBTQ+ public service: 9 legal documents every LGBTQ+ person needs to protect themselves

Naturally, articles that have resonated with readers the most in recent months have been ones that speak to the impact on the people and communities most served by Mosaic.

Stories about Washington’s aggressive efforts to round up undocumented immigrants as well as policy changes affecting children, the LGBTQ community, diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and the proposed cuts to Medicaid, among other issues can be found in the Mosaic section on NJ.com, and in the online newspaper, Ousley said.

“The high cost of everything and the fear and uncertainty that all of these things have created for some of our most vulnerable residents is what we’re concerned about right now,” she said.

Mosaic will continue to tell the stories of people impacted by federal policy changes and cuts to programs and health care, but we will also tell the stories of resilience, stories of love, kindness, courage, organizing and other initiatives sprouting out of what is happening as people figure out how to survive in the face of adversity, she said.

That’s what’s at the center of Mosaic’s coverage.

Mosaic is an excellent opportunity to share the unique stories and challenges of New Jersey’s diverse communities. We welcome ideas, opinion pieces and feedback on how we’re doing and what we can do better to serve people. Email Mosaic at mosaic@nj.com.

Enrique Lavín is editor of the online newspaper. Find him at elavin@njadvancemedia.com

Stories by Enrique Lavín

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription.