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.
Real People, Real Voices
How does a political reporter go about gathering vox pop that鈥檚 meaningful 鈥� authentic personal perspectives that contribute value to stories, and don鈥檛 just parrot pre-cooked talking points? Story Hinckley speaks with host Clay Collins about the persistence, balance, and respect that the work requires.
Humanity in Focus
Every storyteller has a favorite medium. For the Monitor鈥檚 Jingnan Peng, it鈥檚 videography that carries that special power to humanize his reporting and drive stories home 鈥� especially stories that bring respect to underdogs and marginalized groups. Revealing their agency brings Jing joy. Hosted by Samantha Laine Perfas.
A Global Hunt for Good
Popular uprisings, and hints of more. Stories of struggles that seem to run in unending cycles. How does a news organization committed to finding evidence of shared human values keep a constructive framing? Peter Ford, the Monitor鈥檚 international news editor, spoke with host Clay Collins about the challenge.
Black Films Break Through
Hollywood might not have had a 鈥渢ipping point鈥� year when it comes to diversity. But Monitor columnist Ken Makin acknowledges that the year reflected a continuum of progress for representation. In this episode, he speaks with host Samantha Laine Perfas about how some of the year's top hits 鈥� including 鈥淲akanda Forever,鈥� 鈥淭ill,鈥� and 鈥淪tar Wars鈥� 鈥� expanded the genre of Black storytelling.
How to Farm a Hotter Planet
Farming is among the most basic, and essential, relationships that humans can have with our planet. And it鈥檚 evolving to keep pace with changing climate conditions. In this episode, Whitney Eulich, the Monitor鈥檚 Mexico City-based Latin America editor and writer, talks with host Clay Collins about the roots of a Monitor story on global innovation in small-scale agriculture.
Rethinking the Workweek
Will the four-day workweek take hold, at least in sectors where qualified workers remain scarce? Veteran reporter Laurent Belsie took a close look at a long-running labor reform idea that is again sparking the popular imagination. He talks with host Samantha Laine Perfas about finding a Monitor angle on a workplace dynamics story that鈥檚 getting a lot of coverage.
A Child鈥檚 鈥楤est Interests鈥�
Native adoption and child welfare have reached the U.S. Supreme Court. There鈥檚 no simple answer to the question of whether the Indian Child Welfare Act works. The Monitor鈥檚 justice writer, Henry Gass, talks about presenting different, nuanced perspectives compellingly and without judgment, with dignity and respect. Hosted by Samantha Laine Perfas.
A Win-Win on Housing?
How did a story on solutions to Toronto鈥檚 deepening housing crisis become a story about empathy and compassion? Staff writer Sara Miller Llana tracked down those working to shift intergenerational tension toward a focus on mutual goals, resulting in potential win-win solutions. She spoke with host Samantha Laine Perfas.
The Power of Giving Thanks
What is the role of gratitude in our lives? To answer that question, staff writer Harry Bruinius gathered written expressions of thanks from people who had sent or received them, and then conducted interviews about their impact. He spoke to the Monitor鈥檚 Samantha Laine Perfas about what he learned.
Keeping It Fair
Fairness should be a given in political journalism. But today even the media can struggle to stay neutral, or there鈥檚 a creeping 鈥渂oth-sides-ism鈥� that creates false equivalencies. That fuels distrust. How does the Monitor navigate this? The Monitor鈥檚 politics editor, Liz Marlantes, speaks with host Samantha Laine Perfas.
