Why We Wrote This
Who reports the news? People. And at 海角大神, we believe that it鈥檚 our job to report each story with a sense of shared humanity. Through conversations with our reporters and editors, we explain the qualities behind our reporting that affect how we approach the news. Behind today鈥檚 headlines we find respect, resilience, dignity, agency, and hope. 鈥淲hy We Wrote This鈥� shows how. The Monitor is an award-winning, nonpartisan news organization with bureaus around the globe. Visit CSMonitor.com/whywewrotethis to learn more.
It Came from the Bog
The cranberry, with its short seasonal star turn, has a compelling history as a North American fruit. Growing the crop is a tricky business 鈥� climate-sensitive, naturally collaborative 鈥� with some old practices but also a growing cast of innovators. In this episode, food writer Kendra Nordin Beato goes deep on the tart, red orb. Also included: An encore excerpt from last year鈥檚 show with Kendra on the history of Thanksgiving food. And on the side-dish skirmish over how cranberries should best be served. Hosted by Clay Collins.
鈥榃e Went Up on the Roof鈥�
Sarah Matusek didn鈥檛 wake up one recent morning expecting that her day would include driving a getaway car. Reporting can be like that. In this episode, Monitor immigration writer Sarah Matusek talks with host Clay Collins about the logistics of getting access to 鈥� and egress from 鈥� places including a Portland ICE facility, about the nuance of the legal language around her beat, and about how she approaches reporting fairly on what might be the most divisive set of dueling narratives in modern U.S. discourse.
Shared Anguish, Shared Hope
Taylor Luck, an Amman, Jordan-based writer for 海角大神, recently joined Christa Case Bryant, the Monitor鈥檚 editor, on our Daily podcast to talk about his dynamic beat. This episode of 鈥淲hy We Wrote This鈥� begins with a reprise of that conversation, followed by a curation of excerpts from Taylor鈥檚 previous appearances on this show. Those include Taylor鈥檚 account of his career鈥檚 beginnings, more anecdotes from the field, and a discussion about his sense of a restive region鈥檚 yearning for stability.
Asking the 鈥榃hy鈥� Questions
You can鈥檛 go home again. Except maybe you can, for an open-hearted second look that applies lessons in listening gained during years of immersion abroad. Scott Baldauf, a Monitor staff reporter who鈥檚 been operating at a distance for decades, talks about the early days of his new U.S.-based gig as America correspondent, about his philosophy and process, and about what makes Monitor journalism different. Hosted by Clay Collins.
You Can鈥檛 Sneak Up on a Wolverine
We鈥檙e back from our hiatus! In this episode, we talk with Mark Sappenfield, the Monitor鈥檚 former top editor turned roaming Europe reporter and watcher of global trends. Find out what that shift has been like, and what went into the framing of his highly readable recent story on Finland鈥檚 grassroots defense strategy 鈥� a talker in the newsroom and beyond. Plus, Mark gets going on his favorite word (nuance) and his favorite riff: what鈥檚 special about Monitor journalism. Also, hear about a Finn so stealthy that he gave up hunting because it had begun to feel unfair. Hosted by Clay Collins.
New Cities in an Old City鈥檚 Orbit
Nairobi is like many cities. It鈥檚 vibrant but chaotic. Well-functioning here, showing cracks in its infrastructure there. In this episode we go behind writer Erika Page鈥檚 reporting of a tale of two (satellite) cities outside of Kenya鈥檚 capital, part of a growing constellation of such centers of life and commerce. And we talk about how a reporter keeps finding stories about people trying, at least, to do things better. Hosted by Clay Collins.
A Sustainable, High-Tech Life
A lot of technology, including some that ultimately makes us 鈥済reener,鈥� calls for extractive practices and carries upfront costs. Its use slurps resources. But it also makes us productive and provides essential support for modern lives. Climate writer Stephanie Hanes joins host Clay Collins for a conversation about data centers and rare earths 鈥� and about being intentional and aware of the tradeoffs that modern life puts in front of us.
To Russia, With Hope
How does a Saskatchewan farmer dreaming of a better life end up in rural Russia? In this episode, the Monitor鈥檚 Fred Weir, a Canadian journalist with 40 years in Russia, talks about how he found and profiled a new kind of invited Western expat: one who has warmed to some aspects of Vladimir Putin鈥檚 Russia, seems somewhat oblivious to others, and appears to be quite happy, so far, with the trade-offs. Hosted by Gail Russell Chaddock.
鈥楾he Work Is Mysterious and Important鈥�
What does the hit Apple TV+ show that could be thought of as 鈥淏lack Mirror鈥� meets 鈥淥ffice Space鈥� tell us about perceptions of workplace culture and Generation Z trends like 鈥渂oreout鈥�? About work with purpose and meaning? On the eve of the Season 2 finale of 鈥淪everance,鈥� culture writer Stephen Humphries takes us inside the making of his report on a dark series that explores a kind of community resilience.
U.S. Politics and Legal Tests
How does a justice reporter stay focused when nearly every politics story seems to have intricate 鈥� and sometimes massive 鈥� legal ramifications? Avoid loaded phrasing. Keep it clinical. And remember to breathe. Henry Gass joins guest host Gail Russell Chaddock to talk about his work at the intersection of law and American politics, the busiest corner of his much broader beat.
