Chicago This Week Episode 6
Amelia Burns, Medill Reports
Chicago This Week Episode 5
Climate change continues as a global crisis amid COVID-19—and it’s the greater threat
By Shivani Majmudar Medill Reports COVID-19 swept the world, with little regard for anyone who stood in its path. Within weeks, the virus killed thousands, isolated people in their homes and sent economies plummeting. Not only did COVID-19 overwhelm the United States health care system during the first surge, but our political leaders failed to […]
California students receiving free, reduced-price meals face accessibility challenges during pandemic
By Hannah Schoenbaum Medill Reports Jesus Garcia, 17, depended on the Newport-Mesa Unified School District’s free and reduced-price meals program during his time at Back Bay High School in Costa Mesa, California. When the school closed in the spring of his senior year to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Garcia struggled to find stable internet […]
Medill Newsmakers: Reporting on-air amid COVID-19 (Ep. 1)
By Anika Exum, Briana Garrett and Jennifer Ly Medill Reports The spread of this year’s ongoing pandemic came with necessary but unexpected and unprecedented modifications to both the television news industry and the lives of those working in it. Rick Sallinger of CBS4 Denver, Brandis Friedman of WTTW’s “Chicago Tonight,” and Medill School alumna Sheinelle […]
“Trauma on trauma”: A pandemic and back-to-back natural disasters leave Puerto Ricans devastated
By Shreya Bansal Medill Reports Starting in late December, a series of earthquakes devastated southern Puerto Rico, forcing thousands to take shelter on the streets, in their cars and in government tents as their homes were destroyed. The situation left people on the island traumatized. At the time, many Puerto Ricans were still trying to […]
Amidst pandemic, rural New York teachers struggle to access high-speed internet
By Sidnee King and Emine Yücel Medill Reports On a snowy day in mid-March, Sandra Wilkins had a meltdown in the parking lot of the Saranac Lake Free Library. Bundled in hats and mittens and cramped in a grey 2009 Honda Accord, Wilkins and her two children were racing to finish the day’s work while […]
Startups show resilience as the pandemic continues
By Ruiqi Chen Medill Reports When the coronavirus pandemic hit the United States in late March, Matt Morfopoulos wasn’t too worried. As co-founder and chief marketing officer of the Oklahoma text message communications startup Respond Flow, Morfopoulos knew that his business model would survive a socially-distant world because of its emphasis on remote marketing. However, […]
Women’s professional sports leagues utilize social media to continue pre-pandemic growth
By Leah Vann Medill Reports Chicago Red Stars owner Arnim Whisler stands against the blue backdrop of a team-themed blanket, staring into a camera to address nearly 1,000 fans sitting in front of their screens on the other end of a Zoom call on Thursday, April 30, 2020. It’s the annual unveiling of the new […]
Plastic panic in the pandemic: How single-use items meant to protect us will harm the planet
By Zack Fishman Medill Reports When a COVID-19 patient is hospitalized at the George Washington University Hospital in Washington, D.C., they receive a lot of attention from healthcare workers. Whether it’s a nurse doing an hourly check-in or a team of doctors responding to a worsening condition, a medical professional enters a patient’s space about […]
