From the editor
The police killing of George Floyd last year brought fresh urgency to the movement for racial justice and also prompted newsrooms to reexamine how coverage of police violence needs to change. In the aftermath of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin’s conviction for Floyd’s murder, another crucial judicial milestone approaches: The first trial date for a defendant in the Capitol riot, which could take place as early as May.
White nationalism, conspiracy theories, and militant activity pose important reporting challenges, from avoiding or limiting coverage for fear of disseminating lies and hate speech to inadvertently normalizing extremist views through "bothsideism." The January 6 insurgency made clear what reporters on the far-right beat have been saying for years: We need to take this threat seriously. In our piece on covering extremism, Celeste Katz Marston examines where reporting on white nationalism and conspiracy theories should go from here.
As the coronavirus vaccination rollout continues, bringing some hope for a return to "normal" in our personal and professional lives, we are launching a new essay series that explores whether journalism can — or should — return to a pre-pandemic normal. Across newsrooms, the way we once covered education, labor, theater — any beat — is unlikely to be sufficient for the moment we are entering. What are the lasting lessons of this time, and how should we do journalism differently?
These are the questions to which "Lessons from the Pandemic" seeks answers. First up: Issac Bailey on why, after the pandemic, newsrooms must take the whole of the journalist into account in ways that weren’t always true before the coronavirus hit. Look for pieces on the future of political coverage, food reporting, trust in the media, and more in the weeks to come.
Sincerely,
James Geary
Editor, Nieman Reports
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