local news
During the pandemic, I’ve done what I had previously been reluctant to do — put my money where my mouth is when it comes to supporting journalism, the very industry that pays my bills.
I’ve finally subscribed to mainstays like The New York Times, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, etc. I’ve also gotten really into supporting newsletters (from authors I’ve linked before on here like Lyz Lenz and Anne Helen Petersen and Eric Holthaus).
But this week I was reminded that my voracious national news reading habits haven’t been extended to local papers.
1-I knew nothing about the DC city council races that I, a voter, actually get a say in.
And 2- this local reporter lost her job after she did an interview about how hard it was to — run an entire newspaper by herself without any help? Those of you who knew me in college KNOW how much work it takes to simply come up with the content — and make sure it looks good while also being factually correct and newsworthy.
The journalism industry has been in trouble for years now, and it hasn’t been helped by large companies buying local papers and then gutting them. And individually, there’s not a lot we can do beyond subscribing and boosting traffic, which is depressing.
Hopefully this local reporter — and others like her — get jobs where they can have a livable salary. Unfortunately — there might not be many out there still in this field.
what else i’ve been reading:
MSNBC: We're just beginning to understand the extent of Covid-19's feminist nightmare, by Anne Helen Petersen
As the pandemic rages on, women are bearing the brunt of the work.
Entrenched forms of systemic racism in the U.S. have meant that Black, Latino and Indigenous communities have been disproportionately affected, both physically and economically, by the virus. And unlike during past recessions, women are shouldering the economic burden more than men: Over September, about 865,000 women dropped out of the workforce — compared to 216,000 men. But even among women, the recession is uneven: According to September job figures, the unemployment rate is 12 percent for Black women, 10.5 percent for Latino women and 7.3 percent for white women.
The New Yorker: What Happened When Medical Residents Asked for Hazard Pay, by Daniel A. Gross
This line in an email from an NYU Department of Medicine chair just HIT me. No one should be forced to sacrifice themselves for their job. Period.
“I am not indifferent to your anxieties but personally feel demanding hazard pay is not becoming of a compassionate and caring physician.”
books i’ve been into:
Head over Heels, by Hannah Orenstein
This was a fun escape into a world where the Olympics still happened in 2020 — but it also did a great job of covering the #MeToo movement in the gymnastics world — and the effect that the pressure of competing at such a high level has on young girls.
The Last Story of Mina Lee, by Nancy Jooyoun Kim
I couldn’t put this book down. It’s a heartbreaking look at the effect that hardship has on relationships, told through generations.
what i’ve been watching:
One Day At A Time is reairing it’s 4th season on CBS over the next few weeks, and it really needs good ratings to get renewed. It’s such a lovely sitcom — and the first few seasons are easily bingeable on Netflix if you haven’t seen them yet!
Also. Obviously I watched Emily in Paris to hate tweet it and I highly suggest you all do the same!!!
what i’ve been listening to:
Sara Kays: Camera Shy
CXLOE: Heavy, Pt. 1