News and information that journalists need to serve the public and stay safe.
March 17, 2020
AAJA backs journalist after White House calls coronavirus the ‘Kung-Flu’

The Asian American Journalists Association is showing its support for a CBS News White House reporter who tweeted Tuesday morning that a White House official referred to the coronavirus as the “Kung-Flu.”

“There has been a torrent of hurtful and racist remarks and actions targeted at Americans of Asian descent amid the coronavirus outbreak,” the association said in an afternoon tweet. “AAJA denounces racism and xenophobia, and stands by our community and our members, including our very own @weijia .”

The AAJA response came after CBS News White House reporter Weijia Jiang tweeted that a White House official called the coronavirus “Kung-Flu” to her face . Jiang, who identifies as a “Chinese-born West Virginian,” added: “Makes me wonder what they’re calling it behind my back.”

President Trump has referred to COVID-19 as the “Chinese virus” at least twice this week , which contradicts guidance from the World Health Organization to avoid geographic locations in disease names “to minimize unnecessary negative effects on nations, economies and people.”

The president’s words pose yet another challenge for reporters covering the government’s response to the virus. 

Last month, Naomi Tacuyan Underwood, executive director of AAJA, cautioned news organizations against stereotyping in their coronavirus coverage. She suggested journalists avoid terms such as “the Wuhan virus,” or the use of stock footage or generic images of Chinatown to illustrate stories about the virus.

Trump doubled down on his language Tuesday, suggesting he had no intention of changing his description of the virus, saying he blamed the Chinese government for suggesting the U.S. military was responsible for the virus.

“That was false. Rather than having an argument I said I have to call it where it came from. It did come from China,” Trump told reporters Tuesday . “So I think it’s a very accurate term.”
Leadership tips for sending messages

 Advice from Jill Geisler ,
Bill Plante Chair in Leadership & Media Integrity, Loyola University Chicago
Freedom Forum Fellow in Women’s Leadership
  • Be user-friendly in this TL;DR world — lengthy, gray copy loses eyeballs. 
  • Tell recipients right at the top what the message contains. A bullet point index is a good option. It lets the reader know what to look for and keeps writers focused.
  • Write with authority, humanity and clarity.
  • Maintain an FAQ mindset. As you write, anticipate the “what does this really mean to me?” questions from everyone receiving it. 
  • Remember that people under stress don’t always process info well. If it’s important info, send it multiple times in multiple messages.
  • Information is currency. Your default should be “share.”
  • In addition to information, people need encouragement and inspiration. Don’t hesitate to send brief messages of support to your team.

Have questions? Ask away.
Best practices: Demonstrate Trustworthiness
The team at Trusting News shared tips today on how to demonstrate trustworthiness with your coronavirus coverage. Below we have republished one of their eight excellent tips with their permission. Read all the tips here . 

Explain how you decide which stories to cover

Your audience is noticing what you do and do not cover now more than ever. 

If we’re honest, a lot of our coverage decisions happen intuitively or are based on things we don’t verbalize in the newsroom, much less explain to the public. But if you don’t let the public in on your process, they’ll make all kinds of (likely negative) assumptions about your motivations and decision-making, like “the media is just reporting on this because they’re playing into mass hysteria.” 

To combat this, try making a list of the questions and complaints you’ve been hearing about your COVID-19 coverage. Then write a piece to share publicly describing your process and your goals. Share it over and over in comment threads, over email, in links within stories — anywhere it would be useful.

— Molly Muchna , Trusting News & Digital Engagement Editor at Tucson Star
Self Care: No music venues? No problem.
Consider it a tinier tiny desk concert: Musicians who have had to cancel shows — or who are holed up themselves — are doing their part to #flattenthecurve by shifting performances to social media. Check out fan favorites like John Legend (who performed this afternoon on Instagram) as part of the new #TogetherAtHome series of online concerts. NPR has started a list of artists’ pop-up performances, and local publishers like austin360.com are rounding up local and regional artists you may be interested in. Venues may be shuttered, but the music keeps playing. 
This newsletter is written & edited by the National Press Club Journalism Institute staff: Beth Francesco, Jim Kuhnhenn, and Julie Moos. Send us your questions and suggestions for topics to cover.

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