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.
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.
How Crowd Control Evolves
What does good policing looks like when it comes to managing sometimes bristly human interactions at street protests or in rowdy sports stadiums? Writer Simon Montlake and photographer Alfredo Sosa learned in Columbus, Ohio, how police dialogue units can play a role. But is it sustainable, and transferable? How far might it extend in an era when violence and fear seem sometimes seem more prevalent than an openness to discourse? Hosted by Clay Collins.
What Faith Looks Like Now
Who鈥檚 in the pews these days? What about those in 鈥� or adjacent to 鈥� American political leadership who proclaim religiosity even while exhibiting behaviors that don鈥檛 necessarily comport with it? Beginning to decode some of those questions represented a politics writer鈥檚 early swings on the religion beat. Many more remain. Sophie Hills, the Monitor鈥檚 new faith and religion writer, joins guest host Gail Russell Chaddock on this episode to discuss.
A Kingdom of Empathy?
When it comes to humanity鈥檚 relationship to Earth鈥檚 other creatures, does 鈥渄ominion鈥� really mean 鈥渟tewardship鈥�? Monitor writer Stephanie Hanes joins host Clay Collins for a look behind the reporting of her recent deep dive into what new research suggests about the richness of animals鈥� inner lives 鈥� and what that might mean for humans鈥� relationship to them.
A Mother鈥檚 Strength
A new writer鈥檚 local assignment on a gun violence memorial brought him face to face with a mother whose trying experience, and her telling of it, seemed to underscore an organization鈥檚 healing mission. It also showcased his source鈥檚 strength, resilience, and agency. In this episode, we break from the conversation format to make room for a writer鈥檚 annotation of a interview 鈥� used with permission of his source 鈥� that informed his reporting.
Reading America鈥檚 Shift: Part 2
Covering an incoming administration is about more than tracking the words and deeds of the new chief executive. Plates are shifting from the Cabinet to Congress. That warrants careful reporting, too. It means staying grounded in facts, not engaging in speculation, as a government emerges that is in some ways quite different from Trump 1.0. Washington writer Cameron Joseph, a frequent recent guest, joins guest host Gail Russell Chaddock to talk it through.
