Las Cruces Press Women to host panel on COVID-19 media coverage
LAS CRUCES - Las Cruces Press Women will present a panel discussion on COVID-19 and the response from New Mexico media.
The Zoom event will be moderated by Damien Willis, lead reporter for the Las Cruces Sun-News and NMPW 2020 Communicator of Achievement.
Topics will include how news reporters across the state quickly pivoted in order to become competent public health reporters during the COVID-19 crisis — and also the stories that they believe should have been told but were lost because of the pressing need to keep up with quickly changing updates and important information from health and government officials.
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The panel comprises reporters from a range of journalistic disciplines and backgrounds:
Sharon Chischilly is photo editor for the Daily Lobo, the University of New Mexico's student-run newspaper. Chischilly was born and raised on the Navajo Nation in New Mexico, an area hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. She has recently worked for the Washington Post, sharing the photographic story of COVID-19's effects on Navajo Nation.
Algernon D'Ammassa is a statewide reporter for the Sun-News covering state and local business, government, and education.
Patrick Hayes is a general assignment reporter for KOB-TV. His beats have included immigration, the military, agriculture and crime.
Trip Jennings is executive director for New Mexico In Depth, which has committed to covering the impact of COVID-19 on New Mexico. A veteran journalist who has worked at newspapers across the nation, Jennings was one of the founders of the New Mexico Independent.
Ryan Lowery of the Las Vegas Optic regularly reports on crime and criminal justice. An award-winning independent journalist, his work has been published by the Associated Press, Santa Fe Reporter, Santa Fe New Mexican, Idaho Business Review and many others.
Joy Wang is a general assignment reporter for KOB-TV. Prior to coming to New Mexico, she covered major stories for WILX News 10 in Lansing, Mich. including the Flint water crises and the Michigan State Spartans in the Final Four and the playoffs.
COVID-19 and the NM Media Response will be from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Monday, June 15. There is no charge for the event, but registration is required to receive the Zoom link. Email lcpresswomen@gmail.com with "COVID panel" in the subject line, and include your full name and affiliation (if any).