Thoughts on breaking news
As a queen is laid to rest, how will we tell the story of her passing?
Big stories give all writers and especially journalists a moment of pause, not only as consumers of the news, but also as people who spend time thinking about how current events are covered and then consumed. In 2001, I experienced this as a new writer adjacent to a newsroom covering 9/11. Today, I'm thinking about it as a consumer of the news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
Besides absorbing the shock of her passing, journalists begin to cover all aspects of the news. Yesterday, I heard an uncomfortable former deputy prime minister John Manley being interviewed on the radio. Known for his anti-monarchist sentiment, he understandably tried to steer the line of questioning towards the Queen's public service. Similarly, stories are starting to pop up about the Indigenous angle, where tension exists between respect for this monarch and colonialism more generally.
Awkwardness aside, these are all stories that need to be told, even acknowledged on a day of mourning, even though most of the focus has stayed appropriately on the immediate details and the rollout of "Operation London Bridge" - apparently the codename for the plans surrounding Elizabeth’s passing. Interesting to think about the meetings going on in newsrooms globally as this news breaks, and all the decisions being made on walking the line between respect and coverage.
The announcement of the Queen's passing happened just as I finished teaching my first class of the term yesterday. The course is called Storytelling and Narrative, and I shared with the class my own journey as a writer and started to dive into some of the elements that journalists and storytellers consider as they think about the myriad ways of getting a story out there. No doubt there will be lots more to reflect on even as early as next week.
Speaking of breaking news, I have my own to share about my Freelance Writing Intensive course launching at the end of the month! This week I announced a BACK-TO-SCHOOL-WEEK PRICE DROP on the 8-week course, now only $397 until Sept 14th. See the full weekly schedule and details here https://feistyfreelancer.com/course/intro-freelance