SALT LAKE CITY — “You never think you’re going to get tested for a pandemic,” Deseret News sports writer Sarah Todd told me by phone Saturday, holed up in her Salt Lake home awaiting delivery of groceries by her sports editor, Kent Condon.
Journalists are trained not to begin their stories with quotes (normally) because seldom does a quote capture the news and nuance of a story right off the top. But this most unusual week perhaps calls for a rule-breaking approach here Inside the Newsroom. We’re in a global pandemic with states of emergency for Utah and the nation. Our sports writer will remain within the walls of her home for two weeks. Sports editor duties for Kent will include making assignments, editing and grocery shopping (more of us will help with that last one).
Pandemic. Quarantine. State of emergency. Social distancing. COVID-19 test. And perhaps the word of the week: cancellation— of just about everything. It dominated the mediascape, the national conversation and set the stage of what will be weeks of challenge and sacrifice for the nation.
Sarah was tested for COVID-19, along with the Utah Jazz players and other individuals on Wednesday and her test came back negative. She remains under quarantine, as do other sports writers and members of the Jazz to make sure no symptoms arise as a precaution against the spread of the virus. Members of the state’s health department will check in with her this week to see how she is doing.
“The information they gave was absolutely calming,” Sarah said, as she recounted what occurred when the Jazz charter (with her aboard) landed Thursday afternoon in Utah, following her sleepless night in Oklahoma. Her account of her experience, “When coronavirus hit the Utah Jazz and the NBA stopped, I became part of the story,” is filled with the swings of emotion she felt and the challenge she faced of balancing journalistic professionalism with the reality of, “Wait, I might be infected?”
She was tested and cleared. The Deseret News owes a debt of gratitude to Gail Miller, Steve Starks and the entire Jazz organization for caring for the media as well as its own staff and players. Their leadership and decisive response was an example to both the state and the nation.
This week you can add Utah Gov. Gary Herbert and Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox to that list.
“The first person to reach out was Spencer Cox,” said Sarah, in those first few hours of fear and confusion in the Chesapeake Energy Arena, home to the Oklahoma City Thunder. “He sent a DM (direct message) on Twitter and told me to call him. He basically said, ‘You’re right not to leave the arena. We’re in communication with the Jazz about what’s going on right now. Don’t worry about getting home. … We’re working on that.”
That was a pivotal moment for our writer. Cox has been appointed by Herbert to head up Utah’s response to the COVID-19 threat, and our reporters have been covering the fast-moving state response, including Friday’s announcement that schools will be closed beginning Monday. Cox is running for governor and that has brought some whispers of politics invading the state’s response.
There was no politics when he was seeking solutions with the Jazz organization and helping affected individuals, including our writer. He didn’t have to reach out but he did and it made a difference. Cox is working with Dr. Angela Dunn, state epidemiologist from the Utah Department of Health, and she, too, has played a key role this week.
She and other health officials greeted the Jazz charter upon its arrival Thursday and escorted the players into a nearby hanger. She then answered their questions, gave out important literature, and explained what would happen next.
Meanwhile, with the minute-to-minute changes that exploded Wednesday night, the Deseret News and our partners at KSL put in place a policy of social distancing. We are now working remotely as much as we can. Our newsroom remains active as KSL TV and radio are in studio bringing the latest updates, as is the Deseret News at Deseret.com and KSL.com.
But at times the newsroom looks mostly empty as reporters and editors are working round-the-clock out in the field, filing stories from cars, houses, or while sitting on the floor somewhere — anywhere.
Most of the news assignments are given without our reporters and photographers coming into the newsroom; we launch from our homes or from other assignments. Thursday’s final day of the legislative session required intense work on Capitol Hill continuing past midnight. This, all while we were updating the ever-changing news report about the threat COVID-19 has brought to our community.
Work continued through the weekend, with the announcement that the state’s first community transmission has occurred in Park City.
Sarah will stay connected and continue to report remotely. I asked her, if there was just one thing she could communicate to Utah and the nation following her experience, what would it be?
“Be responsible and know that even if you’re a healthy person you are at risk of spreading this to someone who’s immune system is compromised. It’s important to take every precaution that you can.”
Doug Wilks is editor of the Deseret News.