Since March 13, 2020, when public health officials reported the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Santa Barbara, Noozhawk managing editor Giana Magnoli has assigned, reported, written, re-written and/or edited more than 1,400 pieces about the interlocking crises of the pandemic — in between building real time disease data bases, responding to countless what-should-I-do reader questions and absorbing endless reams of coverage by other news organizations from around the state, nation and world — all while keeping track of a few other matters, like breaking news, redistricting and the status of the Conception dive boat disaster investigation, in her spare time.
With her third hand, she swatted flies.
“It’s definitely been a very busy year,” Giana said this week, a paragon of understatement.
In the latest installment of our series of interviews with Santa Barbara’s small cadre of professional, um, news makers, Newsmakers checked in with Magnoli this week, for a case study conversation about behind-the-scenes nuts, bolts, ways and means of how a small staff of local journalists confronted the challenge of covering the biggest global story of the century for their audience.
Among other topics, Giana spoke of how her experience with the Solutions Journalism Network helped shape coverage, as Noozhawk punched above its weight in pounding out and updating a steady stream of utilitarian resource guides, reader-friendly service pieces and a weekly, one-stop COVID-19 newsletter.
“It’s a lot of balls in the air,” Giana said. “We’re not letting go of this (story) anytime soon.”
Check out our conversation with Giana Magnoli via YouTube below or by clicking through this link. The podcast version is here.
(Newsmakers with JR video)
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— Jerry Roberts is a veteran news reporter, editor, columnist, commentator and author, and spent nearly 25 years at the San Francisco Chronicle in senior newsroom and executive positions. The author of Dianne Feinstein: Never Let Them See You Cry, a biography of California’s senior senator, Dianne Feinstein, Roberts is co-founder of the Calbuzz politics website and a political analyst for KEYT News and KCRW. The documentary Citizen McCaw, chronicles his fight for ethical journalism. The opinions expressed are his own.