 | | Donald got his journalism start at The Daily Californian, U.C. Berkeley’s newspaper. These press passes are from his senior year of college in 1975.Donald G. McNeil Jr. |
|
Since February, Donald G. McNeil Jr. has been our go-to guide for understanding the coronavirus. He warned us in February, before the outbreak was classified as a pandemic, that it may soon become a global health crisis, and in March, when everything still felt new and uncertain, he offered essential advice on how to avoid infection. This week, he joined us again to explain four recent developments on our understanding of the virus. |
Because so many of you now know Donald by name, we wanted to introduce you to the reporter behind the dire predictions, helpful tips, and, as one listener puts it, the heartbreak with a “touch of optimism”: |
How did you land on your beat as a health and science reporter for The Times? |
I started at the paper in 1976 as a copy boy, then was a city reporter, an environmental reporter, an editor on the Metro desk and in Culture, and even briefly the “On Stage and Off” columnist covering theater news and gossip. In 1995 I ended up as a foreign correspondent in South Africa when my wife was assigned there. AIDS was destroying a whole generation, so I wrote about it a lot. When I came back, I was sent to Science. Cory Dean, the editor, needed a health writer, and I asked if I could cover third-world health since she had better people than me covering cancer and heart disease. |
Can you walk us through your reporting process and strategies for covering the coronavirus? |
It’s like covering any plague, but this time average Americans care, because they’re afraid. And I’m not alone on the story. The oddest parts are being assigned to predict the future and being on The Daily. For 40 years previously I was told to cover the past and keep my personality to myself. |
Did you ever suspect a pandemic on this scale in your lifetime? |
Yes. But the others I thought would be The Big One — H5N1 bird flu, SARS and 2009 swine flu — never quite ignited. |
Many listeners have noted that you pronounce “Covid” as “kuh-vid” and not “koh-vid” (with a long “oh”). What’s the correct pronunciation? |
Actually, I haven’t settled on a pronunciation — it’s a coined word, so you can do what you like. It’s from “coronavirus,” which sounds like long oh, except the first “o” in “corona” is actually a schwa (upside down e) which is pronounced “uh.” So “kuh-vid” is technically correct, but I admit it sounds weird. |
What hobbies have kept you sane amid the pandemic? |
Is drinking too much wine at dinner a “hobby”? I get up at 5 a.m. and take long CitiBike rides. I’ve gone trout fishing twice, but even then I’m reading pandemic news. Working keeps me sane; it’s also an addiction. The only thing I’ve ever failed twice in my life was in kindergarten: “Ability to Relax.” Yes, I flunked naptime. |
Given my age (66) and because I can work from home and get around mostly by bike, foot or borrowed car, I’m still avoiding trains, buses and planes, even though I realize there is little evidence so far of superspreader events aboard, even in the air. (See this airplane study.) If I had to, I’d fly or take a subway if it was uncrowded and everyone wore masks. Until I’m vaccinated, I’m never piling into a tin of sardines. |
 | | Donald at Lake Tahoe in 2015.John T. McNeil |
|
Conventions with historical echoes |
But beyond the virtual format, what stood out to our producers was the decades of historical context that echoed through the words of speakers. |
Hearing the history at the Democratic convention — and then translating it into audio — was easy. In the days leading up to the D.N.C., producer Andy Mills had already been watching old Joe Biden speeches, so he knew there would be great archival footage from his previous runs for president to incorporate in the episode. |
“This is his third time running, which is interesting in and of itself,” said producer Rachel Quester. “When you combine the questions of ‘Why did he fail?’ and ‘Why is he successful now?’ with the fact that we can show his political life throughout the years with great tape, we’ve got an episode!” |
 | | Joseph R. Biden Jr., then a senator, and his wife Jill at the announcement of his candidacy for president in 1987.Keith Meyers/The New York Times |
|
Finding the historical resonance in the Republican convention, likened to “reality TV” by our television critic James Poniewozik, took a bit more digging. But then the team remembered a story they’d recently heard from a colleague. |
“Producer Jessica Cheung and I had been obsessed by a piece Emily Badger wrote about the suburbs, and one of the politics reporters told us white suburban women are one of, if not the most important voting bloc in this election,” Rachel said. Listening to the convention speeches, we heard messages seemingly directed straight at this demographic — a strategy also employed by the Nixon campaign in 1968. |
“It got us wondering: How is Trump going to try to win this bloc over this time?” Rachel said. “The answer turns out to be a pretty old playbook, and old always equals great archival tape.” |
Listen to our take on the D.N.C. here and the R.N.C. here. |
Tuesday: Donald G. McNeil Jr. returns to explain four new developments in our treatment and understanding of the coronavirus — including the world’s first confirmed case of reinfection in Hong Kong. |
Friday: Donald Trump Jr. was once consigned to the sidelines of his father’s endeavors. Now, he has emerged as the president’s political heir. We speak to Jason Zengerle about his rise. |
That’s it for The Daily newsletter. See you next week. |
Were you forwarded this newsletter? Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox. |
Love podcasts? Join The New York Times Podcast Club on Facebook. |
|
沒有留言:
張貼留言