The best journalism of 2020: Covering the pandemic

A year has passed since the novel coronavirus first emerged. Even with mass inoculation efforts underway, it continues to rage on, with little sign of abating.  Throughout this year, we’ve relied on journalism to make sense of it all—especially as the virus’s spread frequently outpaced our abilities to comprehend and respond to it. Below, CJR has compiled some of the year’s most illuminating, hard-hitting, and enduring coverage of the pandemic.   Looking ahead The Coronavirus in America: The Year Ahead  By Donald G. McNeil, Jr. From the early days of the outbreak, McNeil Jr.’s prescient stories for The New York Times demystified and narrativized a virus that, to this day, continues to evade grasp. In a time of frenetic news cycles, such clear and careful writing served as a much-needed antidote to protracted uncertainty. (McNeil, Jr.’s recent story, about the toll covid-19 may yet take even as vaccinations and an administration change draw near, is another sobering account of what lies ahead of us.)   How the Pandemic Defeated America  By Ed Yong Another marquee reporter on the science beat, Yong, of The Atlantic, wrote prodigiously about the pandemic. Among his anthology of indispensable works, this unsparing account of America’s abject failure to meet the coronavirus when it arrived at its shores stands out. One sentence—comprising 212 words, punctuated by 7 semicolons, and beginning with “No one should be shocked…”—must be the most incisive of the year.    Putting... Continue reading at 'Columbia Journalism Review'

[ Columbia Journalism Review | 2020-12-15 13:02:41 UTC ]
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Please Keep Doing Virtual Book Stuff After The Pandemic

Even while gathering in person becomes more feasible, here's why online book tours and panels should stick around. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2021-09-27 10:40:00 UTC ]
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Keeping events accessible in a post-pandemic landscape

The Covid-19 lockdowns have drastically altered book trade events and made a number of them more accessible, but how can we ensure they remain so in the years to come?   Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-09-26 16:12:25 UTC ]
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Why “Don’t Judge A Book By Its Cover” Is Bad Advice

Who says you shouldn't judge a book based on its cover? The cover has an important job: to capture your attention. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2021-09-24 10:36:00 UTC ]
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Quercus looks to its future after pandemic-delayed anniversary

M.d. Jon Butler, who this week unveiled a rebrand of the imprint to mark its 15th anniversary, reveals why it is embracing both leftfield titles and the A-list this autumn Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-09-17 23:30:15 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #leftfield titles #15th anniversary #week unveiled #jon butler #pandemic-delayed anniversary


Quercus looks to its future after pandemic-delayed anniversary

M.d. Jon Butler, who this week unveiled a rebrand of the imprint to mark its 15th anniversary, reveals why Quercus is embracing both leftfield titles and the A-list this autumn. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-09-17 11:45:35 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #leftfield titles #15th anniversary #week unveiled #jon butler #pandemic-delayed anniversary


Yiyun Li on Starting a Virtual Book Club During the Pandemic

When I first meet a writer on the page, I pose a simple question: What don’t you ask permission for? In Yiyun Li’s case, the answer is her freedom. Individualism might seem inevitable for a woman who was born in China and whose early work responds to authoritarianism, but—reading Li—one senses... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2021-09-15 11:00:00 UTC ]
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Book Clubbing During A Pandemic: The Online/Offline Experience

A reader and book club host weighs in on the pros and cons of in-person vs virtual book club meetups in the time of COVID-19. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2021-09-15 10:34:00 UTC ]
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Cover design round-up: August 2021

Hello, and welcome to the long-overdue (apologies!) round-up of the best UK book covers released in August. As is usual for these round-ups, a few designs were uncredited when this post went live (thankfully, now rectified).To that end, a quick pointer to a recent tweet by Ebyan Egal, which... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-09-13 10:42:04 UTC ]
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Faith-Based Publishers on Surviving, Thriving in 2020 and Beyond

After the last traumatic 18 months, religion publishers face the future by staying nimble, flexible, and, always, hopeful. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-09-07 04:00:00 UTC ]
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​SLA data demonstrates a mixed approach to school libraries through the pandemic

The School Library Association says many of its members were furloughed and some have been made redundant but librarians have been more essential than ever Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-09-03 09:36:20 UTC ]
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Children's Institute 9: Indie Bookselling in a Post-Pandemic World

Booksellers focused on the nuts-and-bolts of indie bookselling in a post-pandemic world, with Wednesday roundtables on gift bundles and boxes and hosting virtual events especially well attended by Ci9 booksellers. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-09-03 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Blake designs cover for ShelterBox all-star climate change story

Sir Quentin Blake has designed the cover for Tamesis Street, a forthcoming climate change story by global disaster relief organisation ShelterBox featuring an all-star list of contributors. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-09-02 10:19:32 UTC ]
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Essex indie bookshop doubles in size after 'thriving' in pandemic

An Essex-based indie bookshop is doubling in size after "thriving" during the pandemic. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-08-25 20:03:30 UTC ]
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Beijing International Book Fair: Pandemic Postponement

As the Chinese health authorities sort through recent outbreaks of the COVID-19 delta variant, Beijing's book fair is on hold. The post Beijing International Book Fair: Pandemic Postponement appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-08-25 12:36:37 UTC ]
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New Scottish library strategy aims to put them at heart of pandemic recovery

A new public library strategy for Scotland has been published, developed with the help of countries all over the world, including Denmark, Australia and the US, and seeking to make libraries key to helping people and their communities recover from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-08-24 05:25:24 UTC ]
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Pandemic Missed Connections: August 19, 2021

In this fifth and final installment of our series, we asked editors to tell us about a book of theirs, published during the pandemic, that they wish had gotten more love. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-08-19 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Doire Press lands two titles inspired by Covid-19 pandemic

Irish publisher Doire Press will publish two October titles inspired by the Covid-19 pandemic, with commissioning editor John Walsh acquiring world English language rights directly from authors Madeleine D’Arcy and William Wall. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-08-17 23:27:41 UTC ]
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‘No one even notices a banner ad anymore’: Marketers see post-pandemic value in out-of-home advertising

As digital media becomes saturated with too many players and ad spend diversification remains top of mind, marketers look to out-of-home as an alternative. The post ‘No one even notices a banner ad anymore’: Marketers see post-pandemic value in out-of-home advertising appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2021-08-12 04:01:00 UTC ]
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Pandemic Missed Connections: August 12, 2021

In this fourth installment of our series, we asked editors to tell us about a book of theirs, published during the pandemic, that they wish had gotten more love. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-08-12 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Physical books are alive with memories. Has the pandemic pushed them into the ether for good?

Zoom book clubs and e-books are no match for physical books and the experience of sharing them with friends in person. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2021-08-10 15:56:12 UTC ]
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