14
Druid City Living | april 2020
OPINION Journalists Have Critical Role, Provide Vital Coverage During the COVID-19 Crisis BY CHANDRA CLARK
February 24, 2020 is the first day I started talking to my Introduction to Reporting class at The University of Alabama about coronavirus. I played the ABC Network story where plans to move American coronavirus patients from a cruise ship to Anniston were cancelled after local officials and residents expressed concerns. We discussed the conflict, the prominence of the different state and federal officials involved, the significance of, and the proximity of the story. Those are just a few of the elements of newsworthiness we try to teach future journalists to evaluate if an issue is worth covering. It didn’t take long for a few of the students to see how complicated this story was and could be on so many levels. Now, three weeks later when I am writing this article, the Covid-19 pandemic has changed the way of life for my students, friends, and family. President Donald Trump declared a national emergency, people are asked to shelter in place at home, K-12 schools are out indefinitely, restaurants are mostly limited to drive-through and pickup/delivery service, no visitors are allowed at nursing homes, professors are moving face-to-face curriculum to online, and churches are livestreaming worship services… if they are even having one.
Never in a million years did I think I would be encouraging everyone I know to do their part to help save our country from this crisis. What’s even stranger is I’m doing it from my home through social media, Facetime, text, and phone. I’m also very confused. I have considered myself a journalist since I walked into my first television station at 16 years old. I have never met one broadcaster or journalist who had intentions of getting their story wrong. Yet, no matter what happens in our country, people always accuse my former colleagues, alums, and friends of misleading them or reporting misinformation. That’s just not the process of how a traditional newsroom or how journalists are trained. Their information comes from official sources and first-hand from the people they interview. Journalists want to get the story right, or they lose their jobs and reputation. They are not your enemy. Most work and live in the communities they are serving. They would much rather report on the good people and athletes in our neighborhoods and schools who do so much to help and entertain the world rather than trying to confuse the audience with misinformation during a natural disaster or a crisis.
Journalists aren’t perfect, and neither am I, but I like to think we are all trying to do our part in what needs to be done during this national emergency. I am that person who analyzes all the news stories from the local stations, the networks, the podcasts, and the cable outlets, and I review all the comments people make on posts. I know people are people and have their opinions, but it’s time to understand we are all in this situation together and we need to support all those who are trying to look out for our health and public safety. I have watched 30+ news conferences from cities all over the country the last few weeks, and the national, state, and local officials are telling us what to do and how to help. The question is will we continue to tear down the people who are bringing us the information we need to make decisions for our family, pocketbook, and quality of life? Or will we do what we are told to help get our lives back in the weeks to come and help a few people who can’t help themselves along the way. It’s my choice, and it’s yours.
Dr. Chandra Clark is an Assistant Professor in the University of Alabama’s College of Communication & Informational Sciences.
