News and information to help journalists serve the public and stay safe.
May 19, 2020
TOP STORIES
Many writers find themselves on deadline with limited time, space and attention during this unprecedented crisis. The National Press Club Journalism Institute and the  National Association of Science Writers  are partnering for a program that will offer tips for creating a writer-friendly physical space, finding your focus, and developing new tools to write in short bursts.

Registration is open  for this conversation, with  Lane DeGregory , a  Pulitzer-Prize winning  enterprise writer at the Tampa Bay Times;  Deborah Netburn ,  a science and feature writer at the Los Angeles Times; and  Marla Broadfoot , a science writer  with a PhD in genetics who also authored the “Ask the Scientist” column for the (Raleigh) News & Observer. 
The limitations to on-the-scene reporting caused by the pandemic have made scarce the details that enrich stories. The gemstones of journalism are there, but reporters must search harder for them.

Washington Post enterprise reporter Jessica Contrera and Indiana University professor and narrative editor for the USA Today network Kelley Benham French discussed how to mine for the right details during a virtual conversation Tuesday hosted by the National Press Club Journalism Institute. Both journalists have deep experience with narrative stories that show rather than tell with sparing but effective use of details. 
 
The five senses are hard to use directly in reporting during this time of COVID-19, so French and Contrera advised reporters to enlist their sources to describe the details.
 
French imagined a story about a nurse coming home from the ER, being unable to hug her child and telling a reporter “It’s the hardest part of my day.” 
 
“I’m just trying to take that generalization and break it into pieces and say, ‘How does it feel in your body when you can't hug your kid? What are the steps that you go through before you can help your kid? Explain it to me,’” she said. “It’s breaking that quote into like 500 pieces and then choosing the most important one.”
 
Contrera said in pre-COVID-19 times, she would simply follow a nurse into the ER. Now, she says she explains to them: “I would be there when you walk into a patient's room. I would be able to see everything you're seeing, smell everything you’re smelling, be able to watch the expressions on your face, on your patient’s face. And I can't do any of that. I need you to help me.”
 
She said she asks sources or the subjects of her stories how they are holding up before interviewing them. When they ask her in return, she gives them detailed, candid answers. “I think it’s important, right now especially ... to model vulnerability.”
 
Both suggested checking back with sources on the details that will appear in a story.
 
“We're not making them editors of our stories,” French said. “We're making them more aware of how they can help us tell their stories.”
 
Read on to learn how to find the details that best tell a story, how to use them sparingly and how young journalists should seize the moment.
Show your humanity during team calls on Zoom by welcoming the unexpected visitor when you can (child, pet or other), not apologizing for them. That models acceptance. Bring a little levity to your Slack workspace with custom emojis and special channels for special interests (#petpictures, anyone?). And remember: “Joy is a news value, too.”

Advice from  Jill Geisler , Bill Plante Chair in Leadership & Media Integrity, Loyola University Chicago, Freedom Forum Fellow in Women’s Leadership
The days are warming up, gardens are abloom. Time to grab your laptop and go outside to Zoom.
One advantage of WFH is that home is not just your dining room table or cramped closet. It’s also your balcony, deck, front lawn or stoop. Even your local park (with proper social distancing). Use them.

Studies show that open air can make us more productive by clearing the mind and adding new energy and focus to our work. That human appetite for the outdoors even has a name: Biophilia .
Before you abandon your indoor desk, consider these tips:

  • Unless you’re going to work in full shade, you’ll want to have an anti-glare screen.
  • You might need a WiFi booster or to use your phone as a mobile hotspot.
  • If your patio chair is too low, take a pillow with you.
  • If you don’t need to sit, use your gas grill as a stand-up desk.
  • If you don’t have an accessible outdoor power outlet, power your laptop to 100% and have a portable power source for your phone.
  • Have sunscreen, snacks and water nearby.

Finally, you don’t have to spend your entire 8-hour workday outside. Remember, it’s the change of pace and place that provides balance.

Read on for more self-care tips, or share your own .
RESOURCES
This newsletter is written & edited by the National Press Club Journalism Institute staff: Beth Francesco, Holly Butcher Grant, Jim Kuhnhenn, and Julie Moos. Send us your questions and suggestions for topics to cover.

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