This weekend, the world mourned the death of actor Chadwick Boseman. On Sunday evening, 6.1 million viewers honored Boseman by tuning in to watch his leading performance as King T’Challa in “Black Panther” on ABC in an act of collective grief.
NPR’s TV critic Eric Deggans eulogized Boseman on Twitter: “After talking about Chadwick Boseman’s passing on MSNBC this morning, I remembered a column I wrote after watching the Black Panther movie about what that film meant for blerds — black nerds — everywhere. #RIP to an acting star whose work uplifted us all.”
Deggans lost his mother earlier this year and has written about how TV shows can help explore grief. The Institute reached out to him for advice on writing about grief during challenging times. Deggans said:
“First, don’t get too maudlin or overly poetic. The occasion is already weighty enough. Let the power of the moment guide your writing choices, but don’t pile on the adjectives or praise to the point where it looks like you are forcing the situation.
Second, be as honest and forthcoming as you can. If there are negatives about the situation or the person you are writing about, don’t avoid them or work too hard to minimize them. Just make sure you put them in perspective and keep in mind that most readers don’t necessarily want to see you take apart even the worst people in an obituary or post mortem. They just want a story that puts everything in the proper context.
Finally, don’t be afraid to talk to people close to the situation to make sure your writing is accurate. It is an odd fact about people that folks who go through traumatic situations sometimes find talking about it helpful. You must be careful in seeking out and conducting these conversations, because not everyone feels this way. But it is not a given that someone close to a tragedy does not want to talk. Often, people find some comfort in remembering good things about someone who has passed away. And they are often highly aware of how a media story may spread positive news about someone’s accomplishments or legacy.”
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Bill Plante Chair in Leadership & Media Integrity, Loyola University Chicago
Freedom Forum Fellow in Women’s Leadership
They’re called mid-level managers, but they are so much more. On any given day, they are:
- The translators of upper level management’s messages
- The first line of feedback to employees who crave it
- The wizards of workarounds when plans or tools fail
- The mediators of conflicts
- The protectors of quality
- The hiring scouts
- The supply clerks
- The cheerleaders
In these days of stretched resources, mid-level managers may also serve as player-coaches.
Of necessity, they jump in to do staff work, covering absences or relieving overburdened teams. Whenever that happens, they’re very likely to shift their administrative work to the off-hours when they should be decompressing. Chances are, their teams never see that part of their workday.
Mid-level managers don’t run the organization. They don’t have the final say on the biggest decisions. Nevertheless, they can be the reason people go the extra mile or can’t wait to jump ship. That’s how much influence they have on the everyday experiences of employees.
If they’re smart and engaged, candid and empathetic, they earn trust and loyalty. If they’re distant and demanding, unaware or uninterested in the hopes, dreams or challenges of their team members, they’re morale-killers.
That’s why it’s important to send some love to the best of the bunch. At a time when every journalist is straining to keep up with a news cycle on steroids, mid-level managers are minding the workflow and those immersed in it. They’re keeping the quality high, the staff safe and sane, and the public served.
They’re probably too busy to stop and read this column.
Forward it to them anyway, with a “THIS IS YOU” in the subject line and a personal word of thanks.
Trust me, it will matter to them more than you know.
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While there’s no magic pill to stop stress in its tracks, adjusting your vitamin and supplement regimen (or starting one) may help address anxiety from the inside out through nutrition.
Keep in mind:
- Vitamins aren’t regulated by the FDA, and you should check with your healthcare provider before adding supplements (especially if you are taking other medication).
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Taking a multivitamin can help close some nutritional gaps in your diet, which should be your primary source for nutrition.
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Understand and follow dosages. Too much of what seems like a good thing can lead to stomach issues or worse.
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How quickly and usefully vitamins are absorbed into the bloodstream is based on a number of factors: type and age of the supplement, interaction with other supplements, and time of day. Do your homework before you purchase.
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Safety for journalists has taken on a renewed sense of importance as newsrooms grapple with the convergence of hostility toward those in the field and systemic racism that pervades even the most revered journalistic institutions. It seems journalists have more reason than ever to be allies for each other as the industry confronts itself while serving conflicted communities.
Registration is open for this program, which will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2020.
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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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