Michele Matassa Flores, Seattle Times Executive Editor
CJ Nash March 21, 2021
Pandemics, Protests and Presidential Politics was the topic of speaker Seattle Times Executive Editor Michele Matassa Flores at our March 2 branch meeting, via Zoom. Thanks to a connection with branch member CJ Nash, “Mich” regaled us for an hour, focusing on one hectic and historical year in our Seattle history: 2020.
She began with February as the COVID pandemic hit Washington State. By March 9, everyone at the Times was ordered to work from home. This was an extremely difficult transition for 160 or so journalists who normally based their work on collaboration with peers in a very busy newsroom. This brazen move was profiled in The New York Times on March 13th as a how-to-do-it profile in courage. All the while, The Seattle Times was struggling to procure PPE (personal protective equipment) for reporters, photographers, and warehouse workers.
News coverage was directed toward investigative COVID articles, a complex graphing system of COVID and vaccine statistics, and the struggles of the Seattle business economy.
By May, the Black Lives Matter upheaval was added to the mix. The Times focused on safety for journalists and photographers while helping them diligently covering BLM issues. Next came the wildfires. Although not the worst we’ve experienced, there was a historic number of Washington State homes that were destroyed.
Without a breather, The Times then plunged into an unprecedented presidential election. Not only did they construct a Zoom Room where journalists could exchange information and support each another, they also prepared for possible safety issues – even including bulletproof vests for their photographers.
Meanwhile, also in 2020, The Times was battling important First Amendment issues, including a defamation case which they won (now on appeal). By fall, managers realized they were also dealing with staff mental health issues, PTSD, and the incredibly frantic and demanding pace of the news.
On a positive note, Matassa Flores has felt that it was a rewarding experience for her personally. She notes that digital subscription growth increased by 25,000 from March 2020 through the end of 2020. Her ‘lessons learned’ going forward are: have empathy for readers, be useful, give people the live coverage they crave, and go below the surface. She also noted the importance of celebrating accomplishments, such as The Seattle Times’ 2020 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting for the coverage of Boeing’s 737 MAX.
Seattle Branch offers its gratitude to this incredible busy and successful woman who made time for a truly inspirational and informational discussion of the news. As always, we ended our meeting with a delightful and varied Q and A between members and our speaker.