Guy Oron on We Live In Color: Amplifying Marginalized Voices Through Journalism
Photos by Jordan Somers
On a recent segment of We Live In Color, host Deaunte Damper was joined by Guy Oron, a staff writer for Real Change. Oron has made a career for himself as a journalist deeply committed to bringing attention to social issues and uplifting marginalized voices. With a strong foundation in activism, shaped by his upbringing in an Israeli-American family dedicated to justice and repairing the world, a concept referred to in Judaism as Tikkun olam, his background has instilled in him a critical perspective on global and local issues, particularly policing, labor rights, and the treatment of unhoused communities.
"I think that really shaped me as I grew up," Oron explained. Combined with that environment and further involvement in community organizing in college, he was drawn to journalism, with his first significant journalistic work highlighting the City of Seattle's expenditures on sweeps of unhoused communities, revealing over $10 million spent in 2017 alone This early work marked a shift from his activism to a more structured approach in journalism, as he sought to uncover and share narratives that mainstream media often overlooks or misrepresents.
Throughout his career, Oron has consistently focused on stories that amplify the voices of those who have been historically deplatformed His work with Real Change and other grassroots outlets like South Seattle Emerald has centered on the experiences and struggles of Black, Indigenous, and people of color, as well as those of the labor movement and unhoused populations.
"I remember covering some of the emerging labor issues, like Amazon workers organizing, as well as policing, police accountability, because obviously, in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, our community members were really out on the streets demanding justice, demanding change," Oron explained.
For Oron, he highlights his approach to the subject matter that has made his journalism stand out among Seattle media.
"Coming from a background of being involved in abolitionist organizing and then becoming more of a journalist, I was able to bring a little bit more of a critical or nuanced perspective to the criminal legal system," Oron said "I know a lot of us who read the news, and we do see this tendency for journalists to defer to the criminal legal system, police, and these authorities I think as journalists, we actually need to be more critical and come in with a critical perspective, especially knowing the harm that's been caused by the system."
In addition to his work at Real Change, Oron recently launched Gossip Guy, a weekly newspaper dedicated to holding governments accountable and shining a light on social movements within Seattle. This new platform allows him to dive deeper into community issues, offering a space for uncensored, community-driven journalism.
"Gossip guy is the source of all the tea about social movement happening here in Seattle, and really hold governments accountable," Oron said of his new venture.
In his pursuit of accountability, Oron highlighted he's no stranger to the flack that comes with it.
"I've definitely gotten some pushback from various directions. As journalists, we're always trying to be receptive if we make any factual errors, we have to correct that," Oron said "It is so important with misinformation in our community to really update the facts."
Guy Oron has observed increased controversy surrounding his work since the October 7th attack in the Middle East.
"It's a really controversial, contentious issue. I've been trying to be on the ground covering various protests and how community members feel about this," Oron. "That unabashed coverage does get you some haters."
He acknowledged that his coverage has drawn criticism from some who hold opposing views, particularly those more supportive of Israel. This pushback has extended to his family. Despite this, Oron, who is a queer Jewish person of color, has said that his identity has significantly impacted how he approaches his work.
"That has really shaped who I'm in community with and really changed my perspective so much. Being there to open up my worldview and look through the shoes of so many different people in my community," Oron said, "Because we are not a monolith. We have so many different perspectives and stories, even with this umbrella of queer people of color, a queer community of color."
Oron plans to continue writing issues he's passionate about, more so now than ever, as he's launched Gossip Guy.
"I'm still going to be working at Real Change, and I'm committed to continuing to uplift like the voices of our homeless neighbors here in the city, but I also am really excited to have a more dedicated platform to be able to go to these protests and really shine a light on what people in the community want."
As always with WLIC, our guests pay tribute to the important individuals in their lives, helping them live in color. For Guy, this individual is Lulu Uzuri Carpenter.
"I'd like to give a tribute to Lulu Uzuri Carpenter, long time
community organizer, and she helped found AAOC and really brought me into the Seattle queer people of color organizing community," Oron said.
Continuing, he said, "We also work together on KVRU, and she's just been there for the community the whole time, basically working two jobs, community organizing on top of being a teacher just spreading and trying to build everyone up, and creating mentoring pipelines to get more community leaders with that Alphabet Alliance of Color Institute, and also has a long track record of doing the right thing long before it was popular."
You can follow Gossip Guy here for the latest updates and find Guy Oron's articles on Real Change here.
"I think for me, I don't see journalism as being competitive. I see it as building each other up and trying to really create an alternative narrative where we are not prioritizing those who have always had platforms," Oron said. "Where we're calling attention to power and acknowledging that power dynamics are real, that we need to hold media platforms accountable. We need to hold each other accountable, and that accountability is actually a love language, and it's not something to shy away from; even as we try to uplift each other, we can do it in a way it's both kind and honest."
Tune in to We Live In Color with Deaunte on all Converge Media platforms for more engaging conversations with inspiring guests like Oron to hear more about advocacy, inclusivity, and living life in color!
