Correction: A story included here in yesterday’s newsletter was attributed to WUFT, which ran it, but it was an NPR story.
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Jacob Dick is a business reporter at the
Beaumont Enterprise.
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Lauren Walck is senior news editor at the
Biloxi Sun Herald.
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As Marco and Laura approached the Gulf Coast this week, local reporters prepared for a crisis within a crisis.
“The number one biggest issue this year is sheltering operations, so that's also been a focus for coverage,” said Lauren Walck, senior news editor at the Biloxi Sun Herald. “As one EMA manager told me, it's quite the quandary because COVID may or may not kill but storm surge and the wind will.”
“There is no camping out in a hotel full of people or crashing in a crowded shelter somewhere until the next day,” said Jacob Dick, business reporter at Beaumont Enterprise.
The Journalism Institute reached out to Dick and Walck via email to learn how their publications planned to cover the storms safely during the pandemic.
What has your experience been like covering Hurricane Laura? How many other storms have you covered?
Dick: So far, it has been very different than my previous storm experiences. I was thrown into the deep end last September when Tropical Depression Imelda stalled over the western portion of our coverage area in Chambers and Jefferson counties, dropping 40 inches of rain in some isolated areas before it was all said and done. There were no signs of extreme wind, and really no warning that we might be in a disaster zone within the next few hours. Before that, I had only covered the occasional ice storm or tornado in western Kentucky.
This time, we had lots of heads up but not a lot of good news. Most of our reporting staff are implants to Beaumont and didn’t have secure places to stay, so some of us are keeping track of the storm and checking in with our sources from Houston while others are hunkering down at the county command center in the Jefferson County Courthouse.
Communication has definitely been the keyword this week.
What is it like to cover the storms during the pandemic?
Walck: Luckily, we have really only had to cover forecasts and preparations so far this year. We had a plan for Marco as of Sunday night but ended up getting zero impacts. I live right by the beach and it rained for maybe 10 minutes — goes to show how unpredictable these storms still are! People are paying attention to tropical forecasts earlier than ever, so with two hurricanes in the Gulf we probably did the most forecast coverage we've ever done. We are still watching for tornadoes [Wednesday night] with Laura, but after that hopefully we are out of the woods.
The number one biggest issue this year is sheltering operations, so that's also been a focus for coverage. Social distancing is not feasible in a packed shelter, and they can't turn anyone away. As one EMA manager told me, it's quite the quandary because COVID may or may not kill but storm surge and the wind will.
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Investigative journalism requires digging for information that someone wants hidden. Powerful forces seek to prevent access, from government officials to private citizens avoiding accountability for wrongdoing.
So how can journalists protect their ability to investigate while under attack? What’s the best defense? And what are the strongest strategies for protecting a free press? Those questions will be the subject of a wide-ranging program in partnership with Investigative Reporters & Editors, moderated by Angela Greiling Keane, editorial director of states and Canada for POLITICO, with panelists Amanda Bennett, former Director of Voice of America; Agnes Callamard, United Nations Special Rapporteur; and Nabiha Syed, president of The MarkUp. The discussion will bring together their experiences as press freedom advocates with their work in journalism, law, and human rights.
Registration is open for this program, which will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Friday, August 28, 2020.
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Advice from Jill Geisler, Bill Plante Chair in Leadership & Media Integrity, Loyola University Chicago, Freedom Forum Fellow in Women’s Leadership
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So why haven’t we written out our No. 1 shared goal during this pandemic: How we’ll survive?
This week, certified professional coach Mary Ellen Ball wrote about self-care: “If one more person uses that airplane metaphor, telling me to put on my oxygen mask first, I will cut them. There is no mask. The masks are on fire along with my sanity.”
In her article, Ball shares her “COVID contract,” a roadmap outlining her work and personal goals as she balances responsibilities in these unforeseen circumstances.
Here’s how you can craft your own COVID contract to share with family, friends or colleagues:
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Focus on resiliency-based goals, not tasks: Articulating the need to improvise, a shared understanding of roles, and expectation of trust and safety above else is key.
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Reset your expectations. You likely have experienced symptoms of burnout, and a busy fall could cause your flame to flicker more. Think what you can take on and at what level of care.
- Be honest. You’re living in a pandemic, and the reality has set in that life is going to be different for some time.
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Inject some humor. Laughter is good for us, and an important survival skill.
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The November elections will be among the most consequential presidential contests in living memory, while also posing myriad challenges to voters seeking to cast a ballot. Now more than ever, reporters are feeling a civic imperative to produce timely, nuanced watchdog journalism so that the American public is equipped with the information it needs to press for a free and fair voting process and vote tabulation.
But how do you prepare for the unpredictable? Join the National Press Club Journalism Institute’s “What if” workshop, which will bring journalists together with experts to generate unanswered questions and unanticipated scenarios that can guide coverage.
Registration is now open for the free workshop, which will be held Thursday, Sept. 3 from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. Following opening remarks by FEC commissioner Ellen Weintraub, participants will join small breakout groups on one of four topics:
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Voter suppression, polling access and Election Day pandemonium led by Sylvia Albert, director of voting and elections at Common Cause
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Mail-in ballots and US Postal Service readiness led by David Becker, executive director and founder of the Center for Election Innovation & Research
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Foreign interference, led by Maria Barsallo Lynch, executive director of the Defending Digital Democracy Project
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Contested election results, led by Rick Hasen, Chancellor’s Professor of Law and Political Science at the University of California at Irvine
Following the breakout discussions, participants will reconvene to learn about story ideas and reporting tips generated by each group. Spots are limited for this program to ensure its hands-on value.
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This newsletter is written & edited by the National Press Club Journalism Institute staff: Beth Francesco, Holly Butcher Grant, and Julie Moos. Send us your questions and suggestions for topics to cover.
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