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Letters from the Newsroom

05.05.03

Shawna Kelsch

Dear Diversity Institute,

I’ve been involved with the shuttle Columbia coverage. Several Gannett executives have lauded the intense coverage and it has set a new internal standard for in-depth and layered reporting.

A brief breakdown of my experience on the day the shuttle exploded:

News of the shuttle explosion was aired by about 9:15 a.m. (My husband) Mark and I were at Home Depot checking out cabinets for a kitchen remodeling project when I heard about it. I immediately called the office and was told to report in as soon as I was finished. When I arrived, the parking lot was full and the office was active.

By 11 a.m., every reporter had checked in and was on assignment. The shuttle disaster plan was in effect. (We do this in anticipation of all potential problems with shuttle, war, political uprisings, etc.). Reporters logged on to their systems and immediately began working. Some were pulled off assignments and sent out to get local reaction, attend religious vigils, etc.

Photographers and graphic designers were busy, all assigned to give special coverage to this disastrous event.

I work with the Government Team and we cover reaction from the House and Senate, local schools and colleges. Specifically, I was assigned to speak to psychologists about how parents and teachers should discuss the disaster with children. By 2 p.m., we had a special edition on the street, followed by another at 5 p.m. The reports dominated our front page for at least 10 days. We owned this story.

For me, the experience was nothing short of inspiring. I saw reporters put in countless hours, assist others in reworking leads, come together to brainstorm about how to work angles and pitch in to get each other access to contacts. Story ideas were formed on the heels of late-breaking and constantly changing news.

Everyone pitched in to make this happen. Reporters were sent to Texas, Louisiana and California — with only a few hours’ notice — and they followed the news with integrity and tenacity. No one complained and no one stopped working — even after 12- or 14-hour days. Needless to say, these were the hours that set our reporters and journalists apart as a rare breed: Full of pride in reporting and taking ownership of a story, with compassion and concern for all who were affected by this unbelievable tragedy.

I was so proud to be a part of this team and touched by the concern of editors who worked constantly to make sure we had the resources and time to do our jobs properly.

Shawna Kelsch, a graduate of the inaugural Diversity Institute Class, is a reporter at Florida Today in Melbourne, Fla.