by Juliana Walker
Juliana Walker began a new job as a reporter for the Mitchell News-Journal at the start of the COVID-19 virus. She has thoughts about beginning this stage of her life during a strange time.
Juliana Walker
When I started at the News-Journal nearly a month ago, I was told a lot of what I would be reporting about isn’t “hard-hitting” news. There would be many articles about festivals, pizza parties at schools and perhaps a three-legged dog.
But, since I’ve been working here, nearly everything I have done has been “hard-hitting” in some capacity. The Corona virus pandemic, which was threatening before I started this job, came in hot on my first day and hasn’t let up.
It’s an incredibly strange time for everyone, but trust me when I say it’s a really strange time to start a new job.
I have yet to experience what a “normal” day is like here. Apparently, it doesn’t involve wiping down my desk with Clorox and locking the door to the public.
Nearly every interview I have conducted has been on the phone or video chat, and almost every County Commissioners’ meeting I have attended has involved sitting six-feet apart and avoiding the innate handshake.
I already knew journalism was incredibly important. Journalism school tattooed the First Amendment into my brain. But, becoming a reporter during this crisis has proven it’s even more critical than I thought. It’s essential. We are essential workers, after all.
There are rumors every day, and we are doing our best to tame them. We’re here to provide the public with the facts and the truth as best we can at a weekly newspaper.
I was warned about the friction that can be present among local officials in our county before I started this job. The division is present in every pocket of politics. But, during this crisis, I have seen the leaders and officials of Mitchell County come together to try and protect the health and safety of our community.
This united effort gives me hope and affirms my belief that we are going to get through this, whether it’s sooner or later.
I have learned a lot from reporting about this crisis, but I’m definitely looking forward to experiencing a “normal” day at the News-Journal, where I may finally get to write a story about that three-legged dog.
If you have stories, images, or videos that you would like to include in The Corona Times, please e-mail mitchellnchistory@gmail.com with your stories and files for inclusion. If you have problems sending us videos, please e-mail and we will make arrangements for you to upload the video to us.
You will note a series of numbers contained in the blog. They document the spread of virus through confirmed cases by the federal Centers for Disease Control and by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. These are the official totals provided by state and local government at the date of the post and do not include estimates or cases not confirmed by these agencies. This is our effort to provide an accurate gauge of confirmed virus spread as it continues during the pandemic.
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Cases in North Carolina
4/13/20
Deaths in North Carolina
4/13/20
Current Hospitalizations
in North Carolina
4/13/20
Cases in Western North Carolina
4/13/20
Deaths in
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4/13/20
Cases in the United States
4/13/20
Deaths in the United States
4/13/20