not teaching,
still THINKING …
Specialty writing is holding a special place these days in our consumption of news as a major news story — the coronavirus — touches every aspect of our lives.
The idea that hard news is for only “news” reporters to cover has, once more, been debunked.
We have always taught and encouraged a solid foundation in reporting that includes the all-important who, what, when, where, how and why of any story. With the virus, “the story” is any or all of the following on any given day.
- Travel
- Health
- Art
- Culture
- Entertainment
- Economy
- Education
- Politics
- Religion
- Sports
- Business
- Food
- Retail
- Fashion
- Medicine
These topics — and more — are intermingling in daily coverage of the virus.
For young journalists, the requirement in college to cover news that often was considered “boring” or “irrelevant” is paying off for them now in their specialty fields.
For news consumers, the writers’ experience is providing relevant coverage that is vital for navigating this global crisis every day in their everyday lives.
For those of us on the journalism sidelines, it is reassuring to know that so many specialty writers have it covered.
(These two profs are no longer teaching at Syracuse University’s Newhouse School, but we are still thinking.)