The wildfires in Los Angeles have created wide-scale destruction beyond comprehension. At least 16 people have died as a result of the fires with over 100,000 LA residents under evacuation orders and 12,000 structures destroyed. 42,600 people do not have power throughout Los Angeles County. Although not the largest fires the state has experienced, they are some of the most destructive on record. With such immense and egregious losses, it is hard to put a number on just how many have been affected.
The deadly nature of these fires and the consequences for those directly impacted make this a difficult but extraordinarily important event for journalists to cover. In such a crisis, journalists must act with sensitivity to tell the stories of those who have been left in the wreckage of their homes without voices.
What is most important in covering disasters is taking care to not trivialize or exploit tragedy. In LA, people have not only lost their homes — they have lost family photos, they have lost pets and they have lost their workplaces.
Emotions are heightened, and a lot of people are probably going to be too overwhelmed to talk to journalists. A journalist might be met with tears or even anger. Regardless, it is important to meet people where they are with empathy and to not put pressure on anyone to talk.
For larger outlets, it is important to avoid parachute journalism, or the act of journalists dropping into a place for a story with little knowledge of the circumstances or cultures and leaving without fully understanding the situation. This often leads to an inaccurate or incomplete depiction of a place or the people living there. In the age of the 24-hour news cycle, it can be hard for journalists to find the time to truly embed themselves in a place and understand every aspect of the place, especially when the place is experiencing a disaster like what is playing out in LA. This is where it is up to those running large media corporations to focus more on quality of work instead of pushing out stories as quickly as possible and lessen the pressure on reporters.
As vital as it is to report on real human experiences for information’s sake, the ultimate goal of reporting on disasters should be to inspire people to help. Thus, when reporting on the LA fires, it is important to share resources and nonprofits that can directly provide aid to those impacted and that have been properly vetted. NBC provided several vetted charities, including World Central Kitchen, American Red Cross of Greater Los Angeles, Pasadena Humane Society and the LA Fire Department Foundation, among others. If any readers are looking to help out, The Post encourages them to contribute to these resources.
Amid all the chaos brought on by these fires, there has been an outpour from those with large platforms looking to support those struggling in LA. Influencers and other celebrities’ Instagram stories are flooded with links to charities and shelters. Bill Hader even offered to help an LA news station with coverage.
In the face of unspeakable tragedy, people of all walks of life have come together to support LA residents. It is the role of journalists to uplift stories from LA and embrace humanity in such difficult times.
Editorials represent the majority opinion of The Post's executive editors: Editor-in-Chief Alyssa Cruz, Managing Editor Madalyn Blair and Equity Director McKenna Christy. The Post editorials are independent of the publication's news coverage. The Post can be reached via editor@thepostathens.com.
