COVID-19 discussion May 19: How details tell story of this pandemic

Join Washington Post reporter Jessica Contrera and Indiana University professor of practice in journalism Kelley Benham French for a discussion of how details tell the story of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Registration is open for this National Press Club Journalism Institute webinar, which will take  place from 11:30 a.m. to noon, Tuesday, May 19.

Contrera is a reporter for The Washington Post's local enterprise team. She reports on people whose lives are being transformed by major events and issues in the news. Benham French teaches reporting and writing at all levels and is narrative and special projects editor at the USA TODAY Network.

They’ll discuss how to consistently collect and select compelling details that evoke emotion and help convey the impact of the novel coronavirus on people’s lives. Learn to identify the moments that compel readers toward a story’s purpose, and hear how to connect the reporting and writing process with our collective ability to understand what this pandemic means.

The first part of this program will feature a 15-minute conversation between the writers. The second part of the program will be a 15-minute Q&A with participants.

This discussion is part of a series of community conversations hosted by the Institute. See upcoming discussions here.

Recordings of previous programs are available:  

• Writing through: A personal pandemic with Sarah Maslin Nir and Tim Herrera

• Covering Coronavirus: How to be an antiracist with Ibram X. Kendi, Robert Samuels & Shannon Young

• Writing through: Resilience and community with Connie Schultz & Jon Mooallem

• Leading through: Resilient newsrooms with Robyn Tomlin, Mike Wilson & Jill Geisler

• Writing through: Grieving together, alone with Keith Woods & Tom Huang

Contact Journalism Institute Executive Director Julie Moos with questions.