Reporting on the Front Lines of COVID-19
One story has dominated headlines worldwide for months. What is it like to be a reporter on the front lines of a pandemic? How do you find truth when mixed messages and misinformation swirl around you? How do you personally handle the tragedy and deep divisions created by this pandemic? And how do you find stories and report on information other than COVID-19 today?
During this webinar, Kane’s team of award-winning former journalists (Kimberly Kane, formerly with WTMJ-TV and WLBZ-TV; James Burnett, formerly with The Boston Globe, The Miami Herald and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; and Steve Jagler, formerly with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and BizTimes Milwaukee), interviewed three journalists to learn what life has been like for them since the pandemic began. Panelists included:
Kimberly Kane, President and CEO, Kane Communications Group
James Burnett, Director of Public Relations, Kane Communications Group
Steve Jagler, Director of Executive Communications, Kane Communications Group
Robert Samuels, National Reporter, The Washington Post
Ashley Luthern, Metro Reporter, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Our panel of journalists discussed the importance of telling stories about marginalized communities affected by the pandemic; the need to quickly adapt as a reporter; and tips on how the public can stay informed and support journalists during this time.
Here are key takeaways from our panelists.
From Robert Samuels, National Reporter of The Washington Post:
When asked how journalists manage information that changes so quickly to ensure misinformation doesn’t impact reporting, Samuels said, “In some sense, the answer to misinformation is reporting. And one of the things I think is really important, particularly in crises like this, is to be able to have discussions about what we don’t know, and to inform readers it’s not a secret that we keep to ourselves. The other thing I think is really important is this is a multifaceted story. No single person or institution we report on has all the answers or knows all the information. I think it’s important to everything into context so that misinformation, whether it comes from the White House, or the person you’re chatting to on your Zoom line, isn’t the defining thing about this story that it’s placed in the context of so many different avenues.”
From Chuck Quirmbach, Health/Science Reporter, WUWM / NPR
Quirmbach provided insight as to how radio news outlets are covering news of the pandemic. “The goal of public radio is to make it less obvious that you’re listening to a local reporter and to try to make the local reporter sound as good as the national reporter. NPR has done a nice job of trying to bring us all up to a certain level. Certainly, some things that are happening elsewhere, like the expanse and breadth of the COVID outbreak in New York City, and even Chicago., We certainly have a sizable outbreak and a sizable amount of questions that come in. I try to tap into things that NPR is doing or listen to what they’re doing so that I can sort of play off of what they’re doing with a local angle.”
From Ashley Luthern, Metro Reporter, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Addressing how the virus has affected people of color in Milwaukee, Lutheran said, “A lot of the disparities that we’re seeing are just magnifying existing disparities. As soon as we started seeing disparities, particularly related to mortalities, everyone that my colleagues and I were talking to were saying ‘This is sadly not surprising given the existing inequities and health disparities that exist within such a city that is ranked amongst the most segregated in the country.’”
When asked what she finds most surprising about covering this crisis compared to others she’s reported on, Luthern said, “I think the surprise is that I don’t have a template for this. I have colleagues who have covered wars, who have covered the Olympics, who have covered terrorist attacks, and nothing has been like this. It’s uncharted territory. That, to me, is the most surprising thing. I think I’ve gone out in the field, two or three times since this started and reporting that way and not being able to be in a newsroom with your colleagues to check in, it’s just very different.”
When it comes to supporting journalists reporting on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, Samuels summarized our panelists’ sentiments best. “Subscribe to good journalism. It’s difficult to get stories from your home. Don’t be shy about throwing ideas out there and asking things that you’re curious about. There are lots of us that are curious to find those answers,” he said.
You can watch the full webinar by clicking play on the video above!