Besides constantly reminding people about
basics of the disease, journalists say it’s
important to explain what they don’t know.
“It lets them know that we’re not just
ignoring the questions or dismissing them,
and it’s an opportunity to show readers how
science progresses in re l time,” said Laura
Helmuth, health and science editor at The
Washington Post.
The Post’s Lena H. Sun and Yasmeen Abutaleb
wrote last week about the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services sending workers
without proper training or protective gear
to meet the first Americans who left the
coronavirus epicenter of Wuhan, China.
The virus produces a seemingly endless supply
of stories that stretch beyond the medical:
Wall Street’s tumble, school and business
closings, concert cancellations. The makers of
Corona beer denied reports that the similarity
of its name to the virus was hurting business.
Italians are shying away from traditional kisses
on the cheek. Churchgoers are nervous about
handshake greetings of peace.
Last week, the AP listed 17 coronavirus stories
on the digest it sends to subscribers, including
pieces from Japan, Italy, Australia, South Korea
and China.
The Times takes pride in how it profiled the
lives of people stuck in Wuhan, through
reporting by Chris Buckley, Amy Qin and Elsie
Chen. Such front-line reporting illustrates
another need: The paper maintains a hotline
with a medical professional to answer
questions from reporters concerned about
their own health, Slackman said.