海角大神

In the United States, Jan. 6 has become a title as much as a date. It conjures up images of one of the most tumultuous days in American history. In today鈥檚 issue, Christa Case Bryant and Story Hinckley explore what that day means to different Americans.聽

But it means something personal to Christa, too. That was her first week as our new congressional correspondent, and rioters came within a flight of stairs of the press gallery where she initially sheltered. But the message she took from that day was not one of fear or anger. It was a deeper sense of purpose. 鈥淪ome people might have thought it would make me regret my decision to take this job, but actually it underscored the vital importance of fair journalism at this moment in America,鈥� says Christa.聽聽

The media has incredible power to shape national thoughts and narratives. It鈥檚 one reason Mary Baker Eddy founded the Monitor 鈥渢o injure no man, but to bless all mankind.鈥� Is that possible in a country that seems so divided?聽

Christa first started grappling with this question of fairness while posted in Jerusalem from 2012 to 2015. It begins with striving to avoid overly simplistic narratives and caricatures, she says. 鈥淚鈥檝e found it鈥檚 a lot harder to do when you鈥檙e reporting on your own country.鈥澛�

What has come into even sharper relief in the past year is the need for 鈥渁n additional measure of self-knowledge, humility, and love,鈥� she adds. Honing those qualities starts within the newsroom, though it holds larger lessons. Increasingly, Christa says, when an editor says something in a story draft feels out of balance, 鈥淚鈥檓 grateful for that. Together, we make the story stronger.鈥�