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I’m writing this newsletter to you on Friday, March 13. It’s 11:53 a.m. I’m still in my PJs. I worked until 8:30 last night. OK, 11. I’ve had a cold for two weeks. And I’m off work as you’re reading this for my kids’ spring break.
It’s very hard to take that time off. Every morning is a hailstorm of “BREAKING,” “LATEST,” “JUST IN.” Yesterday, my doctor told me my blood pressure was higher than normal. (It’s usually faint-when-I-stand-up low.) We figured it was the cold meds. But it could just be the world.
By the time you get this Thursday, I’m not sure what state that world will be in. That’s scary. Also, I tend to be melodramatic, so there’s that.
But one of the things my job calls for is to check in with local newsrooms when there’s big news. And I've found, over time, that it helps me personally process that hard-to-process big news. That’s been true in St. Louis
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after Michael Brown’s death, in Orlando
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after the Pulse attack, after hurricanes
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, tornadoes
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and, last week, the coronavirus.
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In August 2017, one of those stories included how the Victoria (Texas) Advocate was covering Hurricane Harvey
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Since I don’t know what today (my today and yours) holds, I’d like to reshare something that makes me feel, if not hopeful, at least determined.
We can do this.
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Inside the small Texas newsroom that lost power and kept covering the storm
August 29, 2017
On Friday, most of the staff showed up at the Advocate, a 171-year-old newspaper, with non-perishables, air mattresses, clothes and, in some cases, pets. The newspaper, which is the second-oldest in Texas, bought $100 worth of food and supplies.
They planned to stay a couple of days.
“We’re still here,” said J.R. Ortega, copy desk chief.
Friday night and into Saturday morning, the storm hit and the newsroom lost power. They have three backup generators which powered a few computers. They lost water, too. They haven’t been able to print the newspaper since Friday.
Instead, the newsroom has focused on publishing breaking news and resources for the community, reporting on Facebook Live and telling the stories of residents from the seven counties the Advocate serves. Those stories show up online and are woven together for the front page of the e-edition.
The power came back on Sunday. On Monday, the water returned. About 11 people are still staying at the office. Two reporters sleep under their desks. One found a fainting couch in the women’s bathroom. A few waiting room couches are makeshift beds, too.
Not that anyone’s sleeping very well.
The days blur together a bit for Ortega, who made the mistake of trying to sleep by the window on Saturday night. When 120 mile-per-hour winds came through, water leaked in, and he could hear the wind whistling through the quiet old building. Outside, the bells of a nearby church rang on for hours.
The Advocate staff isn’t alone here. There’s a room for cats, although a cat named Felix has taken over the copy room. A dog named Midna claimed the library. There’s also a room with other pets, including a rabbit.
The journalists have been eating well, at least. A restaurant, Guerrilla Gourmet
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, is based on the building’s first floor. The chef, James T. Canter, fired up his food truck and has been feeding the newsroom as well as the community.
Staffers have between 30 and 40 stories they’re updating regularly. And they’re not just helping the community through reporting. People have been calling the newsroom from outside Victoria and asking for help figuring out the best directions to reach loved ones in town. A few staffers are dedicated to figuring out the best routes.
“And we will help them get to where they need to go,” he said. “As a community paper, we feel like we need to keep them safe.”
Since the storm hit, they’ve gone to check out their own homes. Ortega’s apartment has about half an inch of standing water. He figured on Monday that he’d stay at the newsroom for at least one more day.
“I’m not sure if I wanna go back right now,” he said. “What’s the point? Here we have water, electricity, food and internet.”
And, on Sunday night, they had one more comfort. A few hours after the season finale of “Game of Thrones” aired, staffers held an impromptu movie night with an HDMI cable, a laptop and an HBO Go login.
“It was nice,” Ortega said. “It was kind of good for us just to feel a little normal. Things have felt just not normal.”
It’s a funny place to find respite, he said, but “it was just nice to sit down and be like, the one thing that’s not gonna change is ‘Game of Thrones.'”
While you’re here:
Sign up for Al Tompkins daily coronavirus briefing, Covering COVID-19
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.
Check out this age-appropriate guide on how to work from home with kids around
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, including advice from 6-, 9-, and 12-year-old experts.
Our friends at News Catalyst rounded up tools you can use
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to work from home.
We want to see your coronavirus coverage. Share it here
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.
Check out these Poynter resources on how to teach remotely
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Finally, Poynter is a nonprofit. If our work has been helpful, you can show your support here.
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That’s it for me. Hang in there.
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