'Essential' journalists report through tough times in Michigan

THURSDAY, April 16 — As Michigan battles on against the coronavirus pandemic, its residents have a newfound desire for news as they attempt to keep up with a firehose of current events.

Frontline news reporters have been deemed as essential employees under Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s “Stay Safe, Stay Home” executive order in Michigan. And with a constant flow of virus-related updates and news bulletins, readers and viewers have never been thirstier for news.

“This is where you prove your worth as a journalist, and eventually, for the good people doing good work, people will see the value in those news outlets” said Kyle Melinn, editor and vice president of MIRS news, which has covered the State Capitol for the better part of two decades for subscribers.

Melinn, among a handful of other reporters, was at the Capitol last week as the Legislature convened to extend the state’s emergency declaration through April 30. He wore a face mask and snagged a distant spot up in the gallery. The measured risk was necessary, he explained.

“We’re pretty much working seven days a week now,” Melinn said. “The state government is just constantly churning out information and new orders are always coming from the governor. The thing is: People are really starved for news. We’re living in such extraordinary times in this country that they, more than ever, just want to know what is going on. At a time when businesses are shutting down, it’s now more important than ever to prove our worth.”

Melinn, like employees at the competing subscriber news service Gongwer, WLNS TV-6 and the Associated Press, said web traffic has skyrocketed as more people seek out the latest updates and stories on COVID-19 in Michigan. But not all reporters are still rushing the frontlines as the virus continues to spread.

Zach Gorchow, editor and publisher of Gongwer, watched the session remotely. He made the decision in March to have his reporters work entirely from home. Readership has surged; and he can’t afford to risk an illness on staff.

“We typically spend more of our work day at the Capitol than at the office,” Gorchow said. “Now, suddenly, we’re all at home. And we really just have one story that we’re all focused on.”

David Eggert, Michigan State Capitol reporter for The Associated Press, has also been keeping his distance from sources. But while legislative committees and most of the other typical news events on his beat have been canceled, he still manages to stay connected for most of the day.

“The news cycle was always pretty busy, but obviously it’s way more intense right now,” Eggert added. “It makes it hard to unplug, so to speak. With an iPhone and emails flooding in, it’s always been difficult but during a pandemic, it’s worse because you’re at home just watching.”

News reporters in Michigan, and across the country, have adapted to life in the coronaverse much like other employees working from home: Phone calls, text messages and Zoom calls. Occasionally, braver journalists will still shoot for in-person interviews at a six-foot distance.

But the lack of personal interviews, events and on-scene coverage has undoubtedly removed some of the color from local news. And it can be hard to find unique angles for viewers when everyone else is covering the exact same topic, explained WLNS news director Jam Sardar.

“I think the biggest change is that it has forced us to be a lot more resourceful and enterprising,” Sardar said. “The good news is that there’s no shortage of topics. It’s just more on us to come up with fresh ideas and reach out to people to make these stories possible.”

But a renewed thirst for news doesn’t mean much for companies that don’t rely on it for cash.

The media industry, and especially the newspaper business, is struggling to stay afloat on heavily diminished advertising revenue in a new world without events. As a result, newspaper chains across Michigan have laid off staff and reduced daily operations during the pandemic. (City Pulse has laid off three delivery drivers but no editorial, sales or support personnel.)

Crain’s Detroit Business reports that C&G Newspapers in Warren suspended 19 of its print publications and placed its staff on indefinite leave. All six employees of the Troy-Somerset Gazette were laid off. The Detroit Metro Times laid off staff; its top editor is working for free.

“This is absolutely fucking horrible,” said Metro Times Publisher Chris Keating in reports by Crain’s Detroit Business from late last month. “Never in our wildest dreams did we anticipate this, and we are heartbroken to have let go of these hardworking and talented people.”

Gannett, which owns the Lansing State Journal and the Detroit Free Press, announced last month that many staffers will be laid off five days a month through June and that other executives will take a 25-percent pay cut, according to recent reports from The Daily Beast.

The Michigan Press Association has described newspapers statewide as facing “immense pressure” from lost advertising during the crisis, according to reports from Bridge Magazine. MPA has “grave concerns” that newspaper delivery disruption could threaten the industry’s long-term fight for printed public notices — an important source of revenue and transparency.

More than a million Michiganians have filed for unemployment amid the pandemic. In many cases, workers who are laid off will actually be paid more on the state’s temporarily beefed up unemployment system than the frontline workers who are still being asked to report to work.

Essential journalists that remain on the job, with average salaries of $27,000, are no exception.

“This is a time when we can really separate ourselves from what others are doing,” Sardar added. “There just aren’t that many outlets devoted to what’s going on in Mid-Michigan. We differentiate ourselves by focusing locally on this region. That’s always been our strength.”

Of course, the doom and gloom of constantly reporting on a virus that has killed more than 1,600 Michiganians can take its mental toll as well. Reporters have been working longer hours and finding it difficult, at times, to ever fully disconnect from the breakneck pace of the virus.

“It’s also this unrelenting crush of largely negative news,” Eggert added. “There are a few bright spots here and there, but we don’t have as many reporters as we used to and we’re focusing on the main news of the day. It can be frustrating sometimes to try to find those new angles.”

“The stress of the overall situation makes this much more trying than just the fact that it’s a really big story,” Gorchow added. “I said to some friends the other night: It’s like every day there’s a terrible plane crash with hundreds of people dying somewhere across the state.”

“We just have to maintain our focus to do the job and push through. I think it’s important to let that emotion guide our writing in some ways. The human toll needs to come through.”

Sardar said his news team at Channel 6 has focused on showcasing as many positive news stories as possible in a new recurring segment titled “Feel Good Friday.” The goal: Give viewers a break, if only a temporary one, from an onslaught of otherwise shitty headlines.

“We’ve seen police and fire departments parading to celebrate birthdays, and featured people making masks or fundraising or doing other things to help the community,” Sardar explained. “We’re also always trying to make sure we’re including at least some good news in every show.”

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