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.
Covering Campaign 2024
What goes into writing about a handful of candidates鈥� monthslong presidential runs? Working tactically to gain the up-close access that brings insights into not only the nuances of the behavior and messaging, but also the public response. That鈥檚 the heart of the story. Guest host Gail Chaddock, a veteran of the game, chats with a Monitor rising star, politics writer Story Hinckley, just ahead of primary season 2024.
The Young Hands on Earth鈥檚 Thermostat
Call it the Climate Generation. Its members born since 1989, it鈥檚 the demographic cohort with the most to gain from climate action and the most to lose from inaction. The Monitor sent a team to four continents to report for the better part of a year. In this 鈥渕aking of鈥� episode, guest host Clara Germani, the project鈥檚 leader, speaks with staff writers Sara Miller Llana and Stephanie Hanes about the just-finished series鈥� motivations, its shaping (and reshaping), and its careful, often complicated execution.
Picking Books That Matter
Monitor readers love books. That adds to both the joy and the difficulty of serving as the publication鈥檚 books editor 鈥� and upholding a legacy of smart coverage. April Austin joins host Clay Collins to talk about what it鈥檚 like to be a literary gatekeeper, how reviewers get matched to books, and what job a Monitor review should aim to do for a busy reader.
The Transcendent Power of 鈥楽wiftie鈥� Nation
Grammy-winner Taylor Swift has inspired a record amount of Spotify streaming, notched Billboard firsts, inspired a Harvard course, and 鈥� oh, yeah 鈥� been named Time鈥檚 person of the year. But she鈥檚 more than a pop culture and economic juggernaut. She's also the de facto president of a pro-girlhood community that, in its best and most inclusive applications, empowers people to connect. Writer Isa Meyers spoke to host Clay Collins about seeing both stories at once.
What Might Curb Mass Shootings
Mass shootings enter and exit the U.S. news cycle with an almost numbing regularity. How can a reporter cover gun violence, one of the hottest hot-button issues in the nation, with fairness and respect? Can any hope be found amid the eruptions that dissolve into a cycle of thoughts and prayers, of debates over rights, restrictions, and root causes? Correspondent Patrik Jonsson spoke to host Clay Collins about reporting in the wake of the Lewiston, Maine, shooting 鈥� and about the notion of a right to public peace.
One Reporter鈥檚 Guide to Gratitude
In this re-topped encore episode, writer Harry Bruinius reflects on his exploration last Thanksgiving of the effects that letters of gratitude can have on senders and recipients alike. For this Thanksgiving, he speaks with host Clay Collins about how he has been thinking about that story and its subject since 鈥� and about tapping into the enduring power of gratitude, even in especially troubling times.
A Politics Writer鈥檚 Real Test
The recent elevation to U.S. House speaker of a relative unknown set off a wave of declarative side-taking. Some pointed to hopes for civility and responsible government. Others to controversial stands on social issues and the division they can sow. For our senior congressional writer, the news meant sifting factual accounts of Mike Johnson鈥檚 words and actions, and not getting caught in the efforts to shape any particular narrative. Gail Chaddock guest hosts this episode.
Respect, Dignity, and Getting Along
Can civility 鈥� true, deep civility 鈥� save what can sometimes seem like a broken world? Stephen Humphries, the Monitor鈥檚 chief culture writer, joins host Clay Collins to talk about his expansive view of the culture beat and about how he came to write about Alexandra Hudson鈥檚 book, 鈥淭he Soul of Civility.鈥� Ms. Hudson, too, joins this episode to talk further about how to bridge the empathy gap that reveals itself around issues ranging from Mideast side-taking to vaccines.
Mideast Turmoil: What鈥檚 Different This Time
Where does Israel鈥檚 pursuit of Hamas go next, and what does it mean for the broader Israeli-Palestinian struggle? Ned Temko, a veteran Mideast-watcher, joins host Clay Collins to talk about a region that demands command of context to cover 鈥� let alone analyze 鈥� fairly. Ned offers a high-altitude look at how this latest round of violence has, in a way, returned the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to its deepest roots 鈥� but also is focusing eyes on the importance of attempting some form of political resolution.
A Zeal for Reels, Unspooled
How does the Monitor鈥檚 film critic approach the work of identifying what to review, and how? For Peter Rainer, it鈥檚 about intelligent curating, and staying moored by his own context-rich experience 鈥� even amid buzz around topics like 鈥淏arbenheimer,鈥� or the question of whether superhero movies are a scourge. It鈥檚 about serving his audience by filtering the noise that can overshadow the works themselves. Peter spoke with host Clay Collins about how he does that 鈥� with a bonus anecdote about a surprising encounter with Quentin Tarantino.
