Our Virtual Classroom: Journalism Ethics During A Global Pandemic.
Voices of University of Arkansas Students Spread Across the Nation
April 9, 2020
Question of the Day: Pick one answer that best describes how news and information about the pandemic has allowed you to plan or envision your future. We plan for the future with the help of news and information. Accurate information, no matter how troubling, should at least help us make educated guesses about what the future holds. I’m interested in knowing how far in the future you are able to look based on that information. (That answer should also reflect the quality of the news and information that is out there.)
Also, as always, I’ll look forward to extended answers on this front as well as comments about whatever other developments have occurred as of late.
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I have been seeing different news outlets talk about how there will be an economic recession after this virus. This has definitely changed my plans for the future because I was planning on moving after graduation. I am worried that I won’t be able to get a job like I had hoped. I have also read a few articles that question whether or not our lives will be the same after this is all over.
Chloe Brammell
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I would say that my plan for the future due to the pandemic is limited. I have a plan until the beginning of summer. My plan is to finish my grad school application and finish school to the best of my ability. I will say that it is difficult to plan during a global pandemic.
Mary Green
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Right now, at least for myself because I will be a senior next year, I was able to plan for the summer, but anything after that is kind of a blur. My study abroad trip this summer was canceled along with my law school entry exam, so I will be at home now, but I’m not sure if I will be on campus in August for school, my job and my extracurricular activities.
The news, at least from my perspective, has allowed me to make educated guesses about what will happen until around July, but after that, there isn’t much news about what I should expect after that. No one knows, so my plans are up in the air. News outlets are willing to show the charts and graphics until about May, but people aren’t willing or able to tell reporters about anything else. Just look at what happened to Dr. Fauci when he tried to say this may go on longer than we think right now.
Victoria Radke
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I feel that, unless things change, I can still plan on taking classes this fall. Even if they change the fall classes to all online later. I am not currently planning to take a summer class. I am focusing right now on finishing this semester. And that is about as far ahead as I have planned.
I have been staying with my boyfriend since classes went online. I live with my parents still, and I don’t know when I should go home. My dad has underlying conditions. I suppose it would probably be safe now, since I have not had any symptoms. But I have been to the store a few times and drive-throughs, so I have not been completely isolated for two weeks. I just feel like it is safer to stay where I am for a while.
The thing that I think is most worrying to people is that we cannot really know right now how many people have the virus since people can have mild symptoms or be asymptomatic.
I have thought about several things from the news coverage and just from the experiences I’ve seen about social distancing and self-isolating. They are not really plans but thoughts about the future.
For instance, there are photos of wild animals coming into cities when there are no cars on the roads, or not many. And gas prices are super low. I wonder if this will change people’s notions about how hard it is to make changes that will be good for the environment.
I think there is certainly a new appreciation for healthcare and health care workers. I am wondering what will be done in the future, in politics, regarding the health care system.
I am working on a story for Professor Schulte’s feature class about the efforts to keep kids fed during the school closings. Food banks and pantries, restaurants, and individuals are coming together in the effort. Restaurants are trying to survive themselves too, of course, but they are also thinking of how they can help their communities. Individual people are looking out for others. It makes me think that we could build a better society, and confront food insecurity and food waste, if we really organized ourselves.
I’ve read articles and seen headlines about the loss of jobs and the people who have to be working right now – essential workers. The people working to produce and supply food are also gaining a new appreciation I think. I am hoping the undocumented immigrants who work in the food industry are recognized finally for what they contribute to the country. When so many people are loosing their jobs, it makes me think about our whole economic system.
I am not an economist, and don’t feel I understand it that well, but I think we could have a better system somehow. Something that does not rely on so much consumption and produce so much waste.
I also wonder if there will but changes to culture in the long term, like waving instead of shaking hands and standing further apart. Or maybe wearing masks in general. The new fashion accessory. There are a bunch of tutorials online on how to sew or make your own face mask. It reminds me of a theory I read about somewhere a long time ago that cultures which are considered to be more focused on the collective good of the community, rather than individualism, developed in parts of the world that had a higher presence of pathogens.
I think the way things have changed so quickly, just everyday habits and the national focus and effort to unite in a common cause, demonstrates that things CAN be changed quickly. That indicates, to me, that we can change things for the better if we really want to and try.
So, I would say that from the news and media I have consumed I am able to plan to stay put for a while and to keep my plans to attend fall classes. I am keeping my personal plans to what I can do where I am.
Other than that, I am mulling over what can be done on a larger social and global scale.
Hillary Hollis
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The information I have garnered from the news has made me greatly re-evaluate my plans. I was supposed to be in Prague this fall. The news saying that the Czechia may not open its border for a year has made me start to plan to be here in the fall even though my program has not cancelled yet. I now have a chance to try to move my grants and was able to apply and receive an exec position in an RSO. The news predictions that there may be a resurgence in the fall has me waiting to sign a lease for this fall.
Courtney Sakmar
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The pandemic has made my vision of the future very blurred and unsure. I think that the coverage out there on the virus and with so much external speculation, it is difficult to see a true end to the current state of our newly socially distant world. I would like to hope that things will be back to normal by sometime this summer, but the information that is out there, from news outlets to statements from universities, is indicating that we just cannot predict the timeline of this pandemic.
Katie Beth Nichols
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With the flood of news and information nothing is certain about how long the effect of the coronavirus will last. Many sources are saying different things like the end of April or the end of the year. My hope is that by the start of summer everything will be more under control and starting to get back to normal.
Maritza Cedario
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I’ve been reading a lot of NYT, AP, and NPR. Since yesterday, the focus has shifted mostly to coverage about Bernie dropping out of the race, but I’ve also read a couple interesting pieces on how COVID-19 is disproportionately affecting black Americans due to racially entrenched economic inequity that is reflected in people’s ability to afford proper healthcare.
I also responded to the NYT “We Want To Hear From You” page and talked about how online learning has been difficult for me, especially in the case of my Arabic classes. Learning a critical language online is not the best avenue. Nevertheless, she persisted.
Summer El-Shahawy
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I do not believe news media has been able to help plan for my future (or at least that’s how I feel in the moment). We rely on news for information, but sadly a lot of information pertaining to COVID-19 at the moment is unknown. News media can make estimates and predictions, but many contradict each other. We as humans will never be able to precisely predict the future. As a senior about to enter the real world with a real job, I am nervous for my future. But I know God has a plan for me so I have been trying to look on the positive side of the news (while being safe, quarantined and educated). From all the information in news sources I’ve closely followed (New York Time, CNN, Twitter) I think the rough ends of the pandemic will decline after this summer, most likely in September or October. However, the job and stock market is another story.
Molly Yale
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As far as the pandemic and its coverage, I’ve more or less rested on the fact that I can prolong my job-search for another year, thanks to grad school. I cannot imagine being a graduating senior looking for a career in this economy, as I would be were it not for the grad program. And as far as my media diet, I’m subscribed to the Wall Street Journal and read it for about an hour every morning. I typically stick to the written articles, but today I went for a run and listened to their podcast, The Journal, talking about the aircraft carrier that has become a COVID-19 hot zone, which was a fascinating listen. I also keep up with news on Twitter’s “Trending” features, but I would say the Journal is my primary media source.
Michael Adkison
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