| | Demonstrators gather outside the Hennepin County Government Center in Minneapolis on Monday, where former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is on trial for the death of George Floyd. Stephen Maturen/Getty Images |
We ask NPR journalists one question about how their work came together. |
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What is NPR’s plan for covering Derek Chauvin’s trial? |
Supervising Editor Marcia Davis told us that NPR’s newly formed Race and Identity team is taking the lead on documenting the story. In Minneapolis, national correspondents Adrian Florido and Leila Fadel are covering the trial, along with Senior Producer Walter Ray Watson, and, temporarily, Cheryl Corley of the criminal justice team. Both Fadel and Florido were in Minneapolis last May to cover the protests and unrest that occurred after Floyd’s death. Davis said she expects other national desk reporters to rotate in as well, and that NPR is collaborating closely with Minnesota Public Radio, the member station that has been at the center of the coverage. In addition to telling daily stories from the trial, Davis said the Race and Identity team is focused on stories with a wider lens, such as race in jury selection, the role of protest art, and profiles of prominent figures such as this one of Judge Peter Cahill (who is overseeing the murder trial in Minneapolis). Davis’ team has produced stories all week for both Morning Edition and All Things Considered. Live updates from the trial, produced by NPR's digital team, are available on NPR’s website. These digital stories from other staffers offer a window inside the courtroom for NPR readers who either are not watching it themselves, or who don’t want to but still want to be kept informed. One story focused on the witness testimony of Darnella, the young woman whose cell phone video footage captured Floyd fading away. From Minneapolis, Florido focused on that same moment as he provided ATC host Ailsa Chang a summary of the trial’s second day. Quoting Darnella, Florido said, “that in George Floyd, she saw her Black dad, her Black brother, her Black cousins. And she said she was wracked by guilt that all she did was record.” It was one moment of testimony that was critical to capture. Davis said she and her team are focused on getting the most significant moments to the NPR audience. “Our goal is to continue to unearth stories that illuminate the trial as well as the communities impacted by it,” Davis added. “We also will continue to cover the racial-justice movement sparked by this latest — and certainly one of the most dramatic — deaths in police custody.” Another challenge unique to covering trials is one of balance. The prosecution typically gets the first word and calls the first witnesses. For trials that go on for weeks, it’s sometimes difficult to sustain the reporting. Davis said the team is prepared for a long haul. “We are committed to making sure that it is covered fairly,” she said, “that we give everyone in the case a chance to speak and a chance to make their points and to argue their points, and that includes Derek Chauvin and his lawyer.” — Amaris Castillo |
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Watching every moment, so you don’t have to |
This trial is incredibly painful. It stirs up the feelings of heartbreak and strife that rise every time we as citizens must wrestle with questions about just and unjust policing, and reckon with police violence. If you’re watching the trial, you’re watching people relive that traumatic day, and possibly relitigating your own grief. Even though this trial is being televised and streamed, you don’t have to watch every second of it, because journalists are there, witnessing it on your behalf. They are documenting, distilling and synthesizing every development so that you can stay informed. And they have the added responsibility of telling the story of this trial accurately. Davis says she and her team are still working out how to balance the heavy lift of this coverage with personal self-care, but it’s on her mind. “We’re all a part of the responsibility of reporting on a story fairly and doing it well. But we also are human beings, and I think that for us right now, the challenge is to get the story correct, to make sure that it is well reported, well sourced.” High-profile trials inevitably become cultural touchpoints in the American consciousness. That’s why it’s critical that journalists accurately capture the details. The language of the courtroom will become the language we use to describe these events. The journalism surrounding this trial is both difficult and important. — Kayla Randall |
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Here are a few quotes from the Public Editor's inbox that resonated with us. You can share your questions and concerns with us through the NPR Contact page. |
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Dan Jacobs writes: Kelly, regarding your recent message about pronunciation and mispronunciation on the air, I wanted first to say how pleased I am to have you address this issue. Persistent mispronunciation of place-names, as you point out, often reflects a deep disregard for the inhabitants of the place in question. One nuance you miss, however, is that pronunciation is context-sensitive. For example, you point out that your alma mater is "Gun-ZAG-a" University — and I don't doubt that you're correct on this. However, you say that it's pronounced that way because it's an Italian name, which is where you go wrong: the Italian pronunciation of the first syllable would be "gon” — with a vowel leaning more to "oh" than to "ah". Learning pronunciations from locals could be a great way to add to the authenticity and depth of reporting. And once you've learned one way to pronounce a word, you can certainly learn one or two more! |
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Thanks, Dan. As soon as this pandemic is over, we are putting in a request to take the entire staff to Italy to bone up on our vowels. Until that gets approved, we are going to take you up on your advice and “ask a local” whenever possible. — Kelly McBride |
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Say it right for people, too |
Jane Powers Weldon writes: Your Public Editor comment about mispronounced place names being disrespectful to the place applies to people’s names, too. From the time Jimmy Carter became prominent, many broadcasters have mispronounced Rosalynn Carter’s given name. The first syllable is Rose, not Roz. |
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This is so very true. It’s imperative for broadcasters to pronounce people’s names correctly, regardless of origin, just as it’s imperative for writers to spell them correctly. In this country, there’s a history of names viewed as foreign being butchered in pronunciation and disregarded, and name-based racial discrimination. Names are nuanced. Some names can have different pronunciations in different cultures, and accents vary, of course. But pronouncing someone’s name correctly is as simple as asking that person how they say their name — and now, if the person has a higher profile, it could be as easy as finding clips of them introducing themselves and saying their own name. Media pronunciation is also an influential force: When we say it right, listeners say it right. You mention former First Lady Rosalynn Carter as an example. For what it’s worth, NPR seems to get Rosalynn Carter’s name right, too. — Kayla Randall |
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The Public Editor spends a lot of time examining moments where NPR fell short. Yet we also learn a lot about NPR by looking at work that we find to be compelling and excellent journalism. Here we share a line or two about the pieces where NPR shines. |
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Amid attacks, a focus on Asian adoptees |
NPR’s Morning Edition told a nuanced story of American adoptees from Asian countries, who are struggling to voice their own reactions to a rise in violence targeted at Asians across the country. Ashley Westerman, a producer for the show and an adoptee herself, spoke to fellow adoptees on the heels of the March 16 Atlanta-area shootings. This piece is a great example of NPR narrowing in on a community and making space for their voices. One result: NPR brings listeners into a broader conversation. — Amaris Castillo |
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The pandemic has touched nearly every aspect of our lives. This story from NPR’s Nina Kravinsky focuses on its devastating impact on museums, particularly the smaller ones that, after being closed for a year, are struggling to survive. Many museums are at risk of closing permanently. From this essential vaccine help tool, to a story about burnout, to this piece about museums and the arts, a year into this disruption, NPR’s wide-ranging coverage continues to captivate. — Kayla Randall |
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| | The Office of the Public Editor is a team. Researchers Amaris Castillo and Kayla Randall make this newsletter possible. We are still reading all of your messages on Facebook, Twitter and from our inbox. As always, keep them coming. Kelly McBride NPR Public Editor Chair, Craig Newmark Center for Ethics & Leadership at the Poynter Institute |
Kelly McBride, Public Editor |
| | Amaris Castillo, Poynter Institute |
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The Public Editor stands as a source of independent accountability. Created by NPR's board of directors, the Public Editor serves as a bridge between the newsroom and the audience, striving to both listen to the audience's concerns and explain the newsroom's work and ambitions. The office ensures NPR remains steadfast in its mission to present fair, accurate and comprehensive information in service of democracy. Read more from the NPR Public Editor, contact us, or follow us on Twitter. |
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