Education reporters back in schools — and newsrooms

Some reporters – most of them vaccinated – are heading back into schools and newsrooms. Others have been working in person for months now.

By The Grade

For KXAN education reporter Alex Caprariello, going back to the newsroom post-vaccination requires an extra covering — but not on his face.

Though mask-less, the Austin-based reporter has taken to wearing a Snoopy robe in the frigid office, according to Twitter.

“It feels great being back in the newsroom!” Caprariello said in an email, adding that he’d been working part time from the newsroom (with a mask until recently) since last summer.

“I found it much easier to get my work done, including editing my packages, from my desktop in the newsroom compared to my laptop at home.”

For the last year, many if not most education reporters have done their jobs remotely, particularly in places like Los Angeles, Boston, and Chicago where school reopening was slow and newsrooms were shuttered. A few even got COVID.

But now, like the students and educators they cover, they’re going back to the classroom – and, in some cases, newsrooms, too.

In an anonymous and very nonscientific survey, education reporters told us about getting vaccinated, going back into newsrooms, and safety precautions they’re taking (or being asked to take) in schools.

Twenty-two responded to the questions and a handful left additional comments that were quite telling. Most are already vaccinated. Most told us they are ready to get back into the classroom and feel safe doing so. Some already are.

Interpret these numbers with caution, however. The sample size is very small.

Education reporters told us about getting vaccinated, going back into newsrooms, and safety precautions they’re taking (or being asked to take) in schools.

As we’ve reported several times, education reporters have found creative ways to produce vivid reporting while staying safe, both before and after vaccinations became available earlier this year.

More recently, vaccinations have allowed greater leeway.

Everyone who responded to our survey said their newsrooms are not requiring them to get vaccinated — but strongly encouraging it.

Around 90% said they are fully vaccinated.

Everyone who responded to our survey said their newsrooms are not requiring them to get vaccinated — but strongly encouraging it.

Even before the pandemic, gaining access to schools could be tricky. Since the pandemic, school officials have had another reason to try to keep reporters out.

For some, that’s a nagging obstacle. “Board and legislative meetings remain being held remotely, which is a huge problem for access,” one respondent said.

Or, the pandemic simply amplified previous district practices.

“Districts that were open to media coverage pre-pandemic still find ways to get us inside,” said another respondent, “while those that were resistant before are more resistant now.”

Only about 14% said their schools are not allowing any in-person reporting on campus yet.

More than 80% said the schools and districts they cover are not requiring vaccines for the press.

“Districts that were open to media coverage pre-pandemic still find ways to get us inside,” said another respondent, “while those that were resistant before are more resistant now.”

 Mask guidance over the last few months has been confusing. School requirements are all over the place. Some districts dropped mask mandates before the end of the year. Others said they’ll go mask-less this summer and fall. Still others, like in New York City, currently say they’ll keep the mandates next year.

Regardless of the rules, all but one of our survey respondents said they wear masks when reporting in the field, including in schools and classrooms.

In-person reporting

By and large, respondents also said they feel safe doing in-person reporting, and the safety protocols they follow are, at least in part, to ease the minds of the people around them.

“I wear masks when they’re required or a norm to put others at ease,” one said. “They are still required inside schools in my district. I don’t wear one when reporting outside unless it’s crowded, or when it’s not the norm around me.”

“Reporting in schools feels incredibly safe,” said Robby Korth, a vaccinated education reporter at StateImpact Oklahoma who took the survey and allowed us to use his name.  He wears a mask while reporting in schools, which is required. “The best mask wearing I’ve seen has been on college campuses and in K-12 schools.”

Another respondent told us that the pandemic has made editors and reporters less likely to do in-person reporting.

“It feels like [COVID safety has] become an excuse,” said one. “I would like to see our newsrooms become more dogged about in-person reporting again.”

“It feels like [COVID safety has] become an excuse,” said one. “I would like to see our newsrooms become more dogged about in-person reporting again.”

In Texas, reporter Caprariello had a very different experience. “Some school districts have allowed me into their buildings (masked) with advance notice beginning in the fall 2020 semester,” he said. “Not every request has been granted, but we have visited classrooms and shot video of students at least a dozen times.”

In the beginning, Caprariello suspected he was granted access in part because schools wanted to show off their COVID safety protocols. Access became more difficult when cases rose in the winter, but now things almost feel back to normal.

“Districts have begun making it easier to visit now that vaccinations are out,” Caprariello said. “Most recently, I attended in-person, indoor graduation ceremonies with thousands of people in attendance.”

Previously from The Grade

Top reporters share pandemic reporting tips

Writing great profiles in the age of remote reporting

Coverage challenges in the coronavirus era

Covering the coronavirus