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 ]
News tagged with: #climate change #jesmyn ward #vanity fair #anthology

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Tor Books Criticized for Use of AI-Generated Art in 'Gothikana' Cover Design

The use of AI-generated assets in the cover art for the dark academia novel 'Gothikana' by RuNyx, originally self-published and reissued by Tor Books' romance imprint Bramble, has set off a debate about the role of AI in publishing. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-02-21 05:00:00 UTC ]
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In the dark days of the pandemic, 36 famous authors found light in a collaborative novel

In 'Fourteen Days,' the Authors Guild shows off its storytellers, including Dave Eggers, Celeste Ng, Scott Turow, Mira Jacob, Tommy Orange, Tess Gerritsen, R. L. Stine, Weike Wang and Ishmael Reed. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2024-02-06 16:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #authors guild #tess gerritsen #tommy orange #mira jacob #scott turow #celeste ng


Tattered Cover Submits Bankruptcy Plans, Owes Nearly $4 Million to Creditors

On Tuesday, the ownership group that controls Denver's Tattered Cover bookstores filed the first part of its bankruptcy reorganization plans, citing some $3.1 million owed to unsecured creditors, including half a million dollars to its former CEO. A further $820,000 is owed to secured lenders. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-01-18 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Exclusive Cover Reveal of “If Only” by Vigdis Hjorth

Electric Literature is pleased to reveal the cover for the novel If Only by Vigdis Hjorth, which will be published by Verso Books on September 3, 2024. Preorder the book here. “A relatively young woman, aged thirty. She married in her early twenties, had two children. It is winter. January and... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2024-01-01 12:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #verso #early twenties #young woman #verso books #electric literature #vigdis hjorth


Announcing the Best Book Cover of 2023

Last week, we asked our social media followers to vote for the cover of year from the best 32 designs of the year. This year’s tournament was fierce, with surprise twists and crowd favorites that bowed out early. The winner edged out the competition by a mere 6 votes. From 32 cover designs, here... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2023-12-29 12:05:00 UTC ]
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How one of the world’s oldest newspapers is using AI to reinvent journalism

Berrow’s Worcester Journal is one of several papers owned by the UK’s second biggest regional news publisher to hire ‘AI-assisted’ reporters On 7 October 1779 a letter appeared in Berrow’s Worcester Journal. “To the printer,” wrote a disgruntled reader. “I take the liberty of informing you and... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-12-28 14:03:33 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #news publisher #artificial intelligence #anonymous tip #greatly exaggerated #oldest newspapers


The Art of Paperback Cover Design

Redesign? Relaunch? Regret? Take a look at the ways publishers aimed to seduce new audiences by changing up the covers of notable books. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-12-27 10:02:37 UTC ]
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Cover Reveal: Lucas Mann’s ‘Attachments’

We’re thrilled to reveal the cover for Lucas Mann‘s forthcoming memoir Attachments: Essays on Fatherhood and Other Performances. Here’s a bit about the book from Mann, who is also the author of Captive Audience and Lord Fear: I see Attachments as a way of thinking through and pulling apart the... Continue reading at The Millions

[ The Millions | 2023-12-23 13:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #memoir #cover reveal


Exclusive Cover Reveal: Emma Copley Eisenberg’s “Housemates”

Electric Literature is pleased to reveal the cover of Housemates, the highly-anticipated debut novel by Emma Copley Eisenberg, which will be published by Hogarth on May 28th, 2024. You can pre-order your copy here. When Bernie answers Leah’s ad for a new housemate in Philadelphia, the two find... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2023-12-21 12:15:00 UTC ]
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2024’s hottest book cover trend is . . . pastel skies.

The reign of the color-blob book cover has slowly come to an end over the last several years, and various pretenders to the throne have taken their best shot at being the next trend—sans-serif minimalism (The “Cusk”); brightly-colored paper-cut-out illustrations, usually involving women (The... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-12-18 15:14:58 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #book cover


Chose the Next Book Cover of the Year 

It’s the festive season, which means our fourth annual book cover tournament begins today! We had a tough job winnowing the hundreds of thousands of book covers published this year to the best 32 designs, so we need your help to crown a winner via an interactive poll on our Twitter and Instagram... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2023-12-18 12:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #book cover #electric literature #interactive poll #festive season #year appeared


Exclusive Cover Reveal of “Pretty” by KB Brookins

Electric Literature is pleased to reveal the cover for the memoir Pretty by KB Brookins, which will be published by Alfred A. Knopf on May 28, 2024. Preorder the book here. By a prize-winning, young Black trans writer of outsized talent, a fierce and disciplined memoir about queerness,... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2023-12-15 12:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #memoir #shines light #electric literature


The 138 Best Book Covers of 2023

For what is now the eighth time in a row, I am pleased to present the best book covers of the year—as chosen by some of the industry’s best book cover designers. This year, I asked 46 designers to share their favorite covers of the year, and they came back with a grand total of 138 covers […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-12-12 09:55:10 UTC ]
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Exclusive Cover Reveal of “Loose of Earth” by Kathleen Dorothy Blackburn

Electric Literature is pleased to reveal the cover for the memoir Loose of Earth by Kathleen Dorothy Blackburn, which will be published by University of Texas Press on April 16, 2024. Preorder the book here. Kathleen Dorothy Blackburn was the oldest of five children, a twelve-year-old from... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2023-11-20 12:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #memoir #preorderthe book #electric literature #texas press


The 'Wall Street Journal' Drops Its Bestseller Lists

With this past weekend's edition, the 'Journal' has ended running weekly bestseller lists. The paper had carried a total of seven lists. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-11-07 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Tattered Cover Book Store Files for Bankruptcy

One of the country's best known independent bookstores plans to use the bankruptcy process to become a smaller, modern, financially sustainable business. It is in the process of closing three of its seven locations. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-10-17 04:00:00 UTC ]
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8 Comic Book Cover Art Collections to Please Your Eyes

Sometimes, comics covers do such a spectacular job that they deserve a whole book to themselves. That's where these books come in. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-10-13 10:30:00 UTC ]
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Music, history and courageous journalism: Baillie Gifford prize shortlist announced

Judges praise the final six ‘exquisite and ambitious’ works in contention for the £50,000 award for nonfictionBooks tackling climate change, China, the NHS, European revolutions, ballet and music feature on the shortlist for this year’s Baillie Gifford prize for nonfiction.The six-long list... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-10-08 19:00:48 UTC ]
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Exclusive: See the (sexy) cover for C. Michelle Lindley’s debut novel, The Nude.

Literary Hub is pleased to reveal the cover for C. Michelle Lindley’s debut novel, The Nude, which will be published by Atria in June. Here’s a little bit about the book from the publisher: A gripping, provocative, and sensual debut novel about an art historian who journeys to a Greek island to... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-10-03 14:00:04 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #debut novel #greek island #art historian #literary hub


Albanese says attacks on Dan Andrews ‘low point in journalism’ as News Corp vitriol continues after resignation

Murdoch papers declare the premier’s electoral popularity was a ‘cult’ and his legacy nothing but a state ‘deep in debt’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastThe Sunday Herald Sun’s front-page photo of the... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-09-27 03:28:06 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #news corp #guardian australia #national broadsheet #herald sun #front pages #free app #latest updatesget #free morning #victorian premier