How do student journalists cover their campus and their city when both are shut down by shelter-in-place and remote learning requirements?
On March 13, 2020, The King’s College announced to students that in light of the escalating COVID-19 pandemic, campus would close and classes would take place remotely for the remainder of the semester. As students, staff and faculty adapted their plans to fit this new reality, the staff at King’s independent student-run newspaper, Empire State Tribune, did the same.
Over the past two months, EST has seized the opportunity to cover this historical moment and its impact on the King’s community at large, all while working and reporting remotely. The content students have produced is a testament to their own resilience and dedication to honing their journalistic craft amid these challenging circumstances.
EST chronicled the fears, hopes and disappointments of King’s students during the COVID-19 pandemic, from cancelled performances, to uncertain post-grad plans, to living on-campus in America’s hardest-hit city. They also offered encouragement through an interview with Dr. Griffith and a sense of community through a video series of faculty reading excerpts from their favorite books.
Notably, freshman Bethany Johnson’s photo gallery depicting the eerily quiet Manhattan streets during COVID-19, “On the Streets of New York: COVID-19 Gallery,” received an honorable mention in the Society of Professional Journalists’ College Coronavirus Coverage Awards.
Student journalists also tapped into the larger King’s network by connecting with alumni in the city to see how COVID-19 had impacted their daily lives. Senior Jillian Cheney shared the story of alumnus Wes Parnell, who contracted the virus in March. Freshman Sofia Valdes gave the King’s community a glimpse into the socially distanced wedding of King’s alumna Victoria Bevill, and senior, Jonathon Keeler, which took place in Brooklyn on April 16.
EST Editors at their first virtual planning meeting. Credit: Shannon Mason
The unfolding of the Spring 2020 semester at The King’s College is not one to be forgotten, and thanks to the staff at EST, it won’t be. While official documents may record the administration’s announcements and the measures King’s took during the pandemic, EST continues to record the response and emotional climate of the King’s community during COVID-19, all while offering hope and connection.
ESTv executive producer Callie Patteson snaps a photo mid-edit of Dr. Paul Mueller’s reading for ESTv. Credit: Callie Patteson
“We are proud of the student journalists and their work at EST, powering through the turbulence they are experiencing in their own lives to chronicle the crisis on their campus and city,” said Prof. Paul Glader, co-advisor to EST and director of the McCandlish Phillips Journalism Institute at King’s. “The EST staff is already planning to continue covering the crisis during the summer and into the fall semester.”
“As the coronavirus spread around the world, the task of reporting this story became EST’s top priority,” said Prof. Clemente Lisi, who serves as EST’s co-advisor. “Like the 9/11 attacks, this pandemic has hit New York City hard. The work EST has done over the past two months will also serve as a record of how it impacted the King’s community. It is said that journalism is the ‘first rough draft of history.’” That is why journalism remains so vital to everyday life and in the life of the TKC community.”
See a complete list of EST’s Spring 2020 COVID-19 coverage below.
Interregnum XVI: Interregnum Committee Addresses Concerns by Shannon Mason on March 23, 2020
King’s Forced to Implement Temporary Changes to Academic Policy for the Semester by Meg Capone on March 25, 2020
Editor’s Picks: Quarantine Edition by The Editorial Board of the Empire State Tribune on March 26, 2020
On the Streets of New York: COVID-19 Gallery by Bethany Johnson on April 4, 2020
The Show Cannot Go On: Marisa Ayerst and The King’s Players by Drew Richardson on April 13, 2020
COVID-19: On-Campus During a Pandemic by Shannon Mason on April 15, 2020
King’s Announces Virtual Commencement Ceremony by Mattie Townson on April 16, 2020
Journalist and King’s Alum Experiences Coronavirus by Jillian Cheney on April 16, 2020
Meeting Dr. Griffith and Seeking Encouragement Amid Chaos by Kate Nicholl and Emily Raynor on April 17, 2020
COVID-19: Graduating Seniors Face Uncertainty in Job Market by River Bell and Shannon Mason on April 20, 2020
Meet Pietro La Rosa: The Prince of Greenwich by Kathryn Caswell on May 4, 2020
Four Quarantine Weeks and a Wedding by Sofia Valdes on May 5, 2020