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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2020 North American Comics Sales Grow to $1.28 Billion

Combined sales of comics periodicals and graphic novels in North American in 2020 climbed to approximately $1.28 billion, according to a joint estimate by pop culture trade news sites ICv2 and Comichron. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-06-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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J K Rowling's The Christmas Pig cover revealed

Illustrator Jim Field's cover for J K Rowling’s new book for children, The Christmas Pig (Hachette Children’s Group), has been revealed. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-06-29 23:50:39 UTC ]
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Covering the tragedy in Surfside from near and far

Early on Thursday morning, a residential condo collapsed in Surfside, a town just north of Miami Beach, in Florida. Joey Flechas, a reporter for the Miami Herald, was quickly on the scene, since he lives ten minutes away from the building. “I’m a member of this community who has talked to some... Continue reading at Columbia Journalism Review

[ Columbia Journalism Review | 2021-06-28 12:02:47 UTC ]
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Which YA Cover Design Wore It Better?

Let's take a look at four recent hardcovers that got dramatic paperback makeovers. Which one wore it better? Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2021-06-25 10:37:00 UTC ]
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Will Smith unveils memoir cover for Century at Miami block party

Will Smith has revealed the cover of his memoir Will, published by Century this November, at a community block party in Miami. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-06-21 12:22:28 UTC ]
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Michael Wolff to publish third exposé of Trump, covering last days in office

Author of Fire and Fury’s final book on Trump, Landslide, will cover his ‘tumultuous last months at the helm of the country’Michael Wolff’s third book about Donald Trump, focusing on the final days of his presidency, will be published in July under a provocative title: Landslide. Related: Trump... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2021-06-17 14:56:19 UTC ]
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Bologna Children’s Book Fair: Italy Published 7,289 Kids’ Titles in 2020

The Association of Italian Publishers participates in Monday's Bologna Book Plus conference and shares 2020 book publishing and rights sales data from Italy. The post Bologna Children’s Book Fair: Italy Published 7,289 Kids’ Titles in 2020 appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-06-10 18:58:15 UTC ]
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Global publishing heads debate pandemic impact at BolognaBookPlus

Publishing heads from around the world discussed supply chain issues, the rise of online sales, subscription models and the dominance of Amazon at a round table event this week for BolognaBookPlus, the new general trade arm of the Bologna Book Fair.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-06-09 10:29:37 UTC ]
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The Advantages of Failure: What Thoreau Taught Me About Journal Writing

I have known plenty of failure in my writing life. Inspired partly by Henry David Thoreau, I set out to be a writer after college. Which effectively meant that I worked part-time as a carpenter and bookseller for the next dozen years without publishing a word. My current day job is as a teacher... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2021-06-04 08:49:40 UTC ]
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Growth of Online Sales Cushioned Pandemic Blow at Indigo

Online sales jumped 127% at Indigo Books & Music in fiscal year 2021 over FY 2020, partially offsetting a 34% decline in sales through its physical stores. Still, sales dropped 5.5% in the year, and the bookseller's losses deepened. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-06-04 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Audio Publishers Association Cites 12-Percent 2020 US Audiobook Revenue Growth

In 2020, the Audio Publishers Association sales report finds more than 71,000 audiobooks were published in the US, up 39 percent over 2019. The post Audio Publishers Association Cites 12-Percent 2020 US Audiobook Revenue Growth appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-06-01 13:14:36 UTC ]
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APA Says Audiobook Sales Rose 12% in 2020

The Audio Publishers Association’s annual review of the audiobook market found another year of double-digit sales increases as well as a profound shift in listening habits. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-06-01 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Behind the scenes with the 2020 Democrats

How Joe Biden pulled off two upsets: against his primary rivals and against Trump. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2021-05-28 12:00:00 UTC ]
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U.S. Book Show: Key Findings from Project Panorama's 'Immersive Media & Books 2020' Report

Professors Rachel Noorda and Kathi Inman Berens offer a 21-minute presentation of some key findings from their groundbreaking survey report 'Immersive Media & Books 2020.' Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-05-28 04:00:00 UTC ]
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U.S. Book Show: Is Literary IP as Valuable in a Post-Pandemic Hollywood?

Production companies remain eager to acquire new material, U.S. Book Show panelists discussing literary IP agreed—although how the relationship between theaters and streaming services plays out, they added, is far from decided. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-05-25 04:00:00 UTC ]
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U.S. Book Show: Booksellers on Navigating a Post-Pandemic World

A panel of indie booksellers discussed survival in a post-pandemic world, including the impact upon them of Amazon's predatory practices, and called upon publishers to recognize the e-tail giant's effects on independent bookselling as an industry-wide problem. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-05-25 04:00:00 UTC ]
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U.S. Book Show: Publishers Fight Pandemic Blues with the Backlist

Backlist titles have been a key driver of sales for trade book publishers over the last 12 months. At a U.S. Book Show panel, representatives from four major houses discussed strategies on how to continue to build a publisher’s backlist revenue. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-05-25 04:00:00 UTC ]
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‘We Always Rise.’ A Black-Owned Bookstore in Newark Navigates the Pandemic

Source of Knowledge has been a Newark mainstay for decades. It survived the past year thanks to the generosity of its customers and an owner who provides more than just books. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2021-05-22 09:00:26 UTC ]
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London Book Fair: Pandemic Issues Play Into Education Conference

London Book Fair's 'What Works?' education conference will take a series of looks at educational issues arising from the pandemic. The post London Book Fair: Pandemic Issues Play Into Education Conference appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-05-14 21:02:00 UTC ]
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Hachette Book Group Announces Diversity Progress in 2020

The Hachette Book Group workforce in 2020 was 3.9 percent black, the company says, 6.7 percent Asian, 20 percent Hispanic or Latinx. The post Hachette Book Group Announces Diversity Progress in 2020 appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-05-13 15:32:17 UTC ]
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