Collective Memory of Women Journalists in COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has hit nearly 200 countries and infected over 41 million people in less than a year, making it the largest health crisis and the most dominant news of the 21st century. Journalists were the essential workforce that brought news, stories, and interpretations of scientific discoveries and policy impacts to people at that time. The experiences of women journalists covering the pandemic—their contributions and unique challenges—are integral to our collective memories of the pandemic.
This collection features 33 oral history interviews with women journalists who reported the COVID-19 pandemic from 25 countries and regions, including Afghanistan, Australia, Austria, Cambodia, China, France, Germany, Haiti, India, Italy, Kenya, Lebanon, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taipei, Tunisia, United Kingdom, United States, Vietnam, and West Africa.
This sample of journalists comes from the Coalition for Women in Journalism (CFWIJ) which compiles the list of women journalists covering COVID-19 in 54 countries. One journalist in each country and additional journalists in the countries with more than five journalists listed were contacted, including the United States, India, China, Pakistan, Turkey, United Kingdom, Italy, Canada, Germany, and Afghanistan. A total of 33 women journalists out of 117 contacted participated in the project.
The interviews were conducted by Dr. You Li from May to September 2023. Each interview ranged from 38 to 100 minutes, with an average length of about an hour. The conversations covered issues including but not limited to work-life balance, work relationships and safety, gender-specific challenges, contributions, and reflections. All interviews were recorded, transcribed, and reviewed by the interviewees. The transcript ranges from 12 to 18 pages per interview and approximately 500 pages total. For more information and inquiries, please contact Dr. You Li: yli23@emich.edu. (https://www.emich.edu/cmta/faculty/y-li.php).
