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Coronavirus and Cronkite

Despite the tremendous challenges our community, nation and world face today with the coronavirus pandemic, the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication is continuing our educational mission unabated by transforming our 193 in-person courses into immersive, remote learning environments. This site showcases some of the tremendous work of our students and professors and demonstrates their adaptability, creativity, comradery and perseverance.

Telling Our Story

ASU President Michael Crow talks about virtual education in an interview with Fareed Zakaria of CNN, complete with visuals of Cronkite students in virtual classrooms.

Cronkite Dean Christopher Callahan appears on the Fox10 “Arizona Morning” show with Syleste Rodriguez to talk about the transition to virtual education and how the school is celebrating convocation for its graduating students.

ASU football coach and Cronkite faculty member Herm Edwards offers a video message on the importance of hope. Follow here

The Knight-Cronkite News Lab shares stories about how local television stations are adapting to covering news in a time of COVID-19. Read here

A five-foot tall robot is helping keep Arizona PBS on the air, monitoring equipment for engineers who are working from home. Read here

ASU Now profiles Cronkite student Karina Espinoza, the daughter of Mexican immigrants, who worked in Cronkite Noticias,  the Spanish-language bureau of Cronkite News, and who aspires to a career as a bilingual reporter. Read here

ASU head football coach Herm Edwards spends part of his birthday on Monday speaking via Zoom to students in a Cronkite Ethics and Diversity in Sports Journalism class, while students in a Strategic Sports Communication class hear from Fred Gaudelli, executive producer of NBC’s Sunday Night Football.

Graduate student Paulina Verbera is recognized by Excelencia in Education, an organization that promotes higher education success for Latino students. Follow here

Senior Frankie McLister is featured in a special tribute to the Class of 2020 by the National Press Club Journalism Institute – and gets a special shout-out from Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts.

Kristy Roschke, managing editor of the Cronkite School’s News Co/Lab, discusses coronavirus misinformation for an article in The Philadelphia Inquirer. Read here

Professor of Practice Andrés Martinez writes about how the pandemic might change the nature of sport, particularly its globalism, for Future Tense. Read here

The international cohort of Humphrey Fellows at the Cronkite School offer a multilingual message of solidarity in the face of the global COVID-19 challenge. Follow here

Dozens of Cronkite students interviewed for summer and fall internships right on schedule this semester, thanks to the school’s first virtual internship interview day. Read here

A new report authored by Cronkite Professor Leonard Downie, Jr., former editor of The Washington Post, documents the Trump administration’s attacks on U.S. news organizations and the consequences for a free press. Read here

Variety magazine quotes Knight-Cronkite News Lab senior researcher and former CBS News President Andrew Heyward on the surge in network news viewership and whether it can last. Read here

For Senior Marcella Baietto, the last 18 months at the Cronkite School have been a wild ride, starting with an internship in New York City, followed by a reporting trip to Mexico and ending with remote broadcasts from her bedroom. Read here

The Nieman Lab features advice from NewsCo/Lab’s Dan Gillmor and Kristy Roschke on how news organizations can better cover coronavirus and cautions against linking to outdated stories about the disease. Read more

The Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism provides tips and story ideas for journalists covering the economic impact of COVID-19. Read here

Reporting, producing and learning have not paused in the least as the Cronkite School’s newsrooms, classrooms, student press and studios shift to a remote environment.

Inspired by the pandemic’s impact on tribal lands, Cronkite writer-in-residence Terry Greene Sterling collaborated with alumnus Jake Goodrich to update an award-winning report on “rez golf.” Read here

Cronkite Professor Mi-Ai Parrish is part of a web event for Future Tense’s yearlong Free Speech Project, during which she addressed the challenges facing the news industry. Read here
 
Heather Dunn, Cronkite News content director, shares insights with international journalists on how students, faculty and staff are adapting to reporting remotely. Follow here
 
ASU’s Downtown Devil highlights Cronkite’s efforts to provide social and recreational activities to combat student isolation. Follow here

Arizona PBS turns to a telepresence robot named “Scotty” to monitor the control room and other equipment, helping the station stay on the air while most staff work from home. Watch here

Assistant Professor Jacob Nelson offers inspiration to his students with a Twitter thread on what journalists love about their jobs. Dozens of Cronkite instructors, alums and professionals respond. Follow here

The reporting and producing teams at Cronkite News -- the Cronkite School's award-winning professional program -- are dedicated to covering COVID-19's impact in Arizona. For full multimedia reports go to https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/. Watch here

Senior Associate Dean Kristin Gilger tells the story of how the Cronkite School transformed its curriculum into remote learning environments. Read here

Anthony Totri, a newly minted Cronkite graduate who just joined the team at ABC57 in Indiana, started a Twitter thread – #ThankYouCronkite – that has exploded among Cronkite students in the wake of the coronavirus. Follow here

A video by Assistant Dean Melanie Alvarez shows how Cronkite students continue to tell important stories despite the challenges of the coronavirus.

Assistant Dean Melanie Alvarez and Student Success Director Mary Cook create Cronkite Café to help reconnect our students with each other in this time of isolation. Read here

Dean Christopher Callahan talks about the educational challenges – and opportunities – in an interview with Slate’s Future Tense. Story written by 2019 Cronkite grad Mia Armstrong.
Read here

Watch the Future Tense interview with Dean Callahan with Editor Torie Bosch: Watch here

Arizona PBS redesigns half of its daily broadcasting schedule to meet the needs of Arizonans by airing subject-specific courses for K-12 while the state’s schools are shut down. Read here

Dean Christopher Callahan writes about the teamwork and the focus on adaptability, creativity and perseverance in a letter to our Cronkite Endowment Board of Trustees. Read here

The first days of Cronkite News students reporting remotely are captured in this video by Assistant Dean Melanie Alvarez.

The Cronkite School and Arizona PBS are hosting an hour-long statewide broadcast featuring Gov. Doug Ducey answering questions about COVID-19 and its impact on Airzonans. Read here

ASU Assistant Vice President for Media Relations Chris Fiscus writes about the first days of Cronkite News working remotely, during which students began producing news for all Arizonans from their homes. Read here

Working from Home

Toolkit for Remote Work

Students Covering Coronavirus

A Cronkite News special, “Coronavirus Chronicles,” highlights student efforts to cover COVID-19 and its impact on people’s lives over the past seven weeks. View here
 
Cronkite News reporter Jessica Myers writes about the thousands of DACA recipients who are working on the front lines battling the COVID-19 pandemic. Read here

In the lead-up to the school’s virtual convocation, students share their memories of their years at the Cronkite School. Follow here

 
Students in an intermediate reporting course produce stories for Patch.com about confusion over enforcing stay-at-home orders and the toll that COVID-19 is having on non-profits. Read here and here

Luis Zambrano of Cronkite News writes about how the cancelation of graduation ceremonies at colleges and universities across the country is hard for everyone but is especially disappointing for first-generation college students and their families. Read here
 
Pedro Gomez of ESPN, who has covered baseball for more than 30 years, reflects on “the jolt” this baseball season has been for him and other lovers of the sports in this piece for Cronkite News by Edith Noriega. Read here

Soon-to-be Cronkite graduate Terance Thatch joins in “Selfie Day,” part of a weeklong celebration leading up to the school’s first virtual convocation.

 
Cronkite News reporter Joshua Gerard Gargiulo reports on a rash of scams and fraud associated with the COVID-19 outbreak. Read here

Students in Cronkite News, the news division of Arizona PBS, offer advice to students coming up behind them.

Cronkite News tackles the question: “How do I find a job when so many are out of work?” Read here

Olivia Diem of Anaheim, California, celebrates her acceptance to the Cronkite School on National College Signing Day, when students across the country traditionally commit to their college choices.

Olivia Diem

View more photos of ASU admits here and watch this celebratory video

Cronkite investigative reporting students write for The Boston Globe about how thousands of thoroughbreds have been idled during stay-at-home orders, with serious consequences for the racing industry. Read here

The Downtown Devil, a student news site that covers downtown Phoenix, writes about how Cronkite students are continuing to report during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read here

Students in a TV Reporting class learn how to tell compelling video stories on topics ranging from Harry Potter fandom to the recent boom in takeout food business – all without leaving their homes. Emma Parkhouse and Caroleina Hassett

Students in a television reporting class turn their cameras on themselves and their families to document their lives at home during the pandemic. Kylie Cochrane and Emma VandenEinde

Students in a class taught by Professor of Practice Susan Lisovicz create video stories on how the coronavirus is affecting daily life, including these two on faith and money.

Kimberly Rapanut reports for Cronkite News on a new testing blitz that aims to test up to 60,000 Arizonans over the course of three weekends beginning May 2. Read here

Senior Jordan Elder reports for Cronkite News about ASU historians creating a global archive of people’s COVID memories.

The Society of Professional Journalists recognizes Cronkite News for excellence in creating remote newscasts as part of the College Coronavirus Coverage awards. Read here

Sports journalism students Stephanie Bates, Julian Paras and Kerston Corns create a special NFL Draft show to preview what will be a history-making day for professional sports. Watch here

The latest Cronkite News remote newscast highlights the debate over reopening Arizona for business and the impact of President Trump’s immigration crackdown. 

Investigative journalism students Andy Blye and Jill Ryan earn recognition in a new Society of Professional Journalists’ contest for college students covering coronavirus. Read here Story here

Graduate student Kelsey Collesi writes for AZPreps365.com on keeping athletes on track at Desert Vista High School. Read here

Seniors Delaney White and Dylan Simard write for Cronkite News about a deployment of Arizona nurses to Colorado to help meet that state’s COVID-19 needs. Read here

Junior Caroline Linch of Cronkite News reports on an Arizona effort to bring researchers together to better understand COVID-19 and how to combat it. Read here

Investigative reporting students Audrey Jensen, Chloe Jones, Lidia Terrazas cover how COVID-19 is affecting Arizona’s undocumented community for The Arizona Republic/azcentral.com. Read here

Freshman Ethan Ryter profiles his hometown’s high school football standout, who is holding onto his dream of playing in the NFL. Watch here

Graduate student Rosaura Wardsworth interviews people in Spain, Germany and South Korea about how the quarantine is affecting them. Watch here
 
In this story for The Arizona Republic/azcentral.com, investigative reporting students Austin Fast and Brendon Derr explain why 47 states, including Arizona, have deemed alcohol sales an “essential service’’ during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read here
 
Students create their own sets and get creative with technology as they practice anchoring skills in an advanced broadcast reporting class taught by former TV news reporter Nicole Koester. Watch here

Cronkite News reports on how Arizona plans to provide antibody tests for first responders and add drive-thru coronavirus testing centers for the public. Read here

In an article for The Arizona Republic/azcentral.com, Cronkite investigative reporting students Natalie Walters and Nino Abdaladze write about a surge in demand for wills and other estate planning documents. Read here

Cronkite News produces a remote newscast focused on health care workers and the impact of social distancing in Arizona. Watch here

In an article for The Arizona Republic/azcentral.com, investigative reporting students Andy Blye and Jill Ryan write about how social isolation increases risks for those suffering from addiction. Read here

Cronkite News showcases ways people are helping each other in the era of coronavirus. In one story, senior Melanie Porter reports on a window cleaning company that has started cleaning playgrounds – for free – to keep kids safe and playgrounds open. Read here

Junior Jessica Myers reports for Cronkite News on a record-setting number of background checks for gun sales in Arizona as fears of the coronavirus grow. Read here

Seniors Colby Tortorici, Marcos Noah Guzman and Max Madden create a news game, “Olympix”, in Cronkite’s New Media Innovation and Entrepreneurship Lab. Players take on the role of an Olympic Games’ board member who must deal with the pandemic and the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 games. 

Play here

What is quarantine like for a Humphrey Fellow in his home country? Cronkite School Fellow Gigo Bosnic writes about returning home to Montenegro during the global pandemic. Read here

This remotely produced Cronkite News newscast features Arizona researchers working on a COVID-19 vaccine and a blood drive held by the Arizona Cardinals. Watch here

Junior Ryan Vlahovich reports on the first citations for those violating Governor Doug Ducey’s stay-at-home executive order. Read here

Junior Alexis Young finds that sharing laughs with her family in Sacramento is a good antidote for the mental stress of quarantine. Watch here

Cronkite News reports that social distancing and the wider use of face masks may be flattening the curve of hospitalizations. Read here
 
The CN2GO daily podcast brings Arizonans the latest news on how COVID-19 is affecting the state. Listen here

Senior Sydney Madison offers a tutorial on how to deliver a seamless weather forecast from home using a DIY clicker. Follow here

Senior Miranda Cyr shows how she prepared a segment for Cronkite News on Gov. Doug Ducey’s briefing on COVID-19 in Arizona. Follow here
 
The Cronkite News producer team – known as the "prodpod" – creates a newscast entirely remotely. Follow here
 
Cronkite Sports engages with its audiences by asking: “How do you feel about the idea of Major League Baseball playing its season in Arizona?” Follow here

Senior Madison LaBerge breaks down some of the most recent COVID-19 numbers per the Arizona Department of Health Services in this video report for Cronkite News.

Read LaBerge’s Twitter thread about an interview with a recovered patient here.

Graduate student Rachel Phillips reports on tennis being suspended until at least July 13th. If the current trend continues, 2020 could be the first time since World War II that only one Grand Slam is played. Watch here

Graduate student Marcella Baietto and senior Miranda Cyr anchor Cronkite Noticas Virtual, the Spanish-language newscast from Cronkite News. Watch here

The latest coronavirus news and its impact on Arizonans from Cronkite News reporters Luis Zambrano and Christopher Howley. Read here

Graduate student Marcella Baietto shows off her DIY skills by making a homemade teleprompter. Follow here

Senior Madison LaBerge is telling the coronavirus story in Arizona on social media with daily updates, graphics and videos as well as reports in Spanish. Follow here

Junior Dylan McKim explains the stimulus package using Monopoly to help illustrate. Follow here

Senior Tony Thai pulled created an interactive graphic to illustrate how well Arizona is doing at social distancing. Read here

Students in Cronkite News are doubling down on coronavirus coverage. Read and watch here

Cronkite News produces its first remote newscast.

Students Helen Wieffering, Austin Fast and Agya Aning write in The Arizona Republic about how coronavirus has impacted people of all faiths as worshipping goes online. Read here

For her Television Reporting class, junior Emma VanenEinde takes us inside a day in her life at Taylor Place, ASU’s downtown residence hall, as she adjusts to working remotely and with most of her classmates gone. Watch here

Students Molly Bohannon, Shaena Montanari, Mackenzie Shuman and Ryan Vlahovich report for The Arizona Republic on the popularity of Arizona’s hiking trails as people search for outdoor activities. Read here

CN 2 Go, our new daily audio report, provides audio news briefings via Alexa, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify. Listen here

Students Andrew Blye, Brendon Derr and Jill Ryan report for The Arizona Republic on the difficulties of grocery deliveries during the pandemic. Read here

Cronkite News has launched a new section – COVID-19 in Arizona – that features new coronavirus stories, an informational graphic tracking cases in the state each day, “How to Help” section and a logo created by Brian Lamborn-Hertzberg. Read here

Junior Reed Harmon conducts a home-to-home interview with ASU softball player Morgan Leinstock. Watch here