One final 鈥楾op 10鈥�: best of Monitor journalism
We looked through all our work last year and found 10 stories that most embodied the Monitor鈥檚 desire to uplift, enlighten, and improve through journalism. And we thought, why not share?
We looked through all our work last year and found 10 stories that most embodied the Monitor鈥檚 desire to uplift, enlighten, and improve through journalism. And we thought, why not share?
We know, we know. You鈥檝e probably read enough 鈥淏est of 2018鈥� lists to last you all of 2019. But we looked through all our work last year and found 10 stories that most embodied the Monitor鈥檚 desire to uplift, enlighten, and improve through journalism. And we thought, why not share?聽
If you were particularly affected by any of these 鈥� or want to suggest another 鈥� please let me know. You can reach me at editor@csmonitor.com.
1. A love story defies Boko Haram (June 18) Terror groups aim to inspire fear and divisions. But in Maiduguri, Nigeria, which has endured Boko Haram attacks for nearly a decade, our reporter tells a story of urban revival 鈥� and enduring love 鈥� through the life of a Muslim and 海角大神 couple.
2. Two mothers, a son鈥檚 death, and the struggle for forgiveness (March 12) Writer Harry Bruinius went to Baltimore in January 2018 to report on the city鈥檚 record-high murder rate. It would become his most wrenching assignment. At a gathering of mothers affected by the violence he heard forgiveness 鈥� and gratitude for forgiveness. In a series of conversations, two mothers shared with him their interwoven stories. The result was this remarkable piece about taking steps toward healing.
3. Democracy in disrepair (Sept. 24) Politics in the United States can seem inexplicable and disheartening. Peter Grier looks at how some of the deeper drivers of the tension are creating challenges the Founders never envisioned.
4. America鈥檚 cultural legacy of 鈥榖oys will be boys鈥� comes under scrutiny (Oct. 15)聽Men and women today are being challenged to reexamine long-held concepts of young manhood and masculinity. What鈥檚 acceptable behavior, and what鈥檚 immoral and hurtful, appear to be shifting.
5. Why Americans talk less and less about love and kindness (Nov. 12)聽As churchgoing has declined, Americans have talked less about spiritual issues and introspection. But the curiosity is still there, leading to efforts to find a fresh place in public conversation for moral values.
6. A Genghis Khan reinterpretation (Aug. 20 & 27)聽It isn鈥檛 easy for the conquered to see the contributions that a conqueror made to their country. It鈥檚 even harder when that conqueror is Genghis Khan in Russia. But in the republic of Buryatia, the view is indeed shifting.聽
7. How China silences a minority (Dec. 3)聽Ann Scott Tyson found reporting especially challenging in the western region of Xinjiang, where she went to witness the impact of China鈥檚 forced 鈥渞eeducation鈥� of its Uyghur minority. But that work produced a rare and nuanced look at the project鈥檚 effect.
8. My reunion with desegregation (Dec. 17)聽Thirty years after the peak of school integration nationwide, that progress has unraveled. But the outcome in Buffalo, N.Y., could offer lessons on America鈥檚 pressing need to address racial separation.聽
9. Camp Amazon: Inside the 鈥榣ungs of the Earth鈥� (Oct. 1)聽So much of the climate change story is reported from a high altitude. Here, our writer burrowed beneath the Amazon canopy to get face-to-face with some of what鈥檚 at stake.
10. Louise Penny鈥檚 unlikely motto for murder: 鈥楪oodness exists鈥� (Jan. 14)聽Let鈥檚 put our biases on the table: Louise Penny has a bunch of fans at the Monitor. Compassion, community, and great characters filled her first novel, 鈥淪till Life,鈥� which was featured in our newsroom book club last fall. Our reporter found this Canadian murder mystery writer no less inspiring in person.
Links to expanded versions of some of these stories online are available here.