March 1, 2023

Continuing coverage of COVID-19

SPJ

With California ending its COVID-19 state of emergency and the federal state of emergency set to end on May 11, it feels like the pandemic is over. However, as Jon Mooallem wrote for the New York Times, it is far from over. Mooallem took a look at The NYC Covid-19 Oral History, Narrative and Memory Archive by Columbia University and came to the conclusion that society isn’t looking back on the past few years to move forward. One of the pillars of the SPJ Code of Ethics is that journalists should seek truth and report it. It’s important to continue to report on COVID-19 developments and changes to society as the urgency of the pandemic ends. Mooallem noted that a lot of demographics were under- and overrepresented in the archive. The Code states to “boldly tell the story of the diversity and magnitude of the human experience. Seek sources whose voices we seldom hear.” As we continue to navigate this “post-pandemic” era, it is also important to report on how minority communities were affected and continue to be affected.