Why We Wrote This

Who reports the news? People. And at The Christian Science Monitor, we believe that it’s our job to report each story with a sense of shared humanity. Through conversations with our reporters and editors, we explain the qualities behind our reporting that affect how we approach the news. Behind today’s headlines we find respect, resilience, dignity, agency, and hope. “Why We Wrote This” shows how. The Monitor is an award-winning, nonpartisan news organization with bureaus around the globe. Visit CSMonitor.com/whywewrotethis to learn more.

Covering Campaign 2024

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What goes into writing about a handful of candidates’ monthslong presidential runs? Working tactically to gain the up-close access that brings insights into not only the nuances of the behavior and messaging, but also the public response. That’s the heart of the story. Guest host Gail Chaddock, a veteran of the game, chats with a Monitor rising star, politics writer Story Hinckley, just ahead of primary season 2024.

The Young Hands on Earth’s Thermostat

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Call it the Climate Generation. Its members born since 1989, it’s the demographic cohort with the most to gain from climate action and the most to lose from inaction. The Monitor sent a team to four continents to report for the better part of a year. In this “making of” episode, guest host Clara Germani, the project’s leader, speaks with staff writers Sara Miller Llana and Stephanie Hanes about the just-finished series’ motivations, its shaping (and reshaping), and its careful, often complicated execution.

Picking Books That Matter

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Monitor readers love books. That adds to both the joy and the difficulty of serving as the publication’s books editor – and upholding a legacy of smart coverage. April Austin joins host Clay Collins to talk about what it’s like to be a literary gatekeeper, how reviewers get matched to books, and what job a Monitor review should aim to do for a busy reader.

The Transcendent Power of ‘Swiftie’ Nation

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Grammy-winner Taylor Swift has inspired a record amount of Spotify streaming, notched Billboard firsts, inspired a Harvard course, and – oh, yeah – been named Time’s person of the year. But she’s more than a pop culture and economic juggernaut. She's also the de facto president of a pro-girlhood community that, in its best and most inclusive applications, empowers people to connect. Writer Isa Meyers spoke to host Clay Collins about seeing both stories at once.

What Might Curb Mass Shootings

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Mass shootings enter and exit the U.S. news cycle with an almost numbing regularity. How can a reporter cover gun violence, one of the hottest hot-button issues in the nation, with fairness and respect? Can any hope be found amid the eruptions that dissolve into a cycle of thoughts and prayers, of debates over rights, restrictions, and root causes? Correspondent Patrik Jonsson spoke to host Clay Collins about reporting in the wake of the Lewiston, Maine, shooting – and about the notion of a right to public peace.

One Reporter’s Guide to Gratitude

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In this re-topped encore episode, writer Harry Bruinius reflects on his exploration last Thanksgiving of the effects that letters of gratitude can have on senders and recipients alike. For this Thanksgiving, he speaks with host Clay Collins about how he has been thinking about that story and its subject since – and about tapping into the enduring power of gratitude, even in especially troubling times.

A Politics Writer’s Real Test

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The recent elevation to U.S. House speaker of a relative unknown set off a wave of declarative side-taking. Some pointed to hopes for civility and responsible government. Others to controversial stands on social issues and the division they can sow. For our senior congressional writer, the news meant sifting factual accounts of Mike Johnson’s words and actions, and not getting caught in the efforts to shape any particular narrative. Gail Chaddock guest hosts this episode.

Respect, Dignity, and Getting Along

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Can civility – true, deep civility – save what can sometimes seem like a broken world? Stephen Humphries, the Monitor’s chief culture writer, joins host Clay Collins to talk about his expansive view of the culture beat and about how he came to write about Alexandra Hudson’s book, “The Soul of Civility.” Ms. Hudson, too, joins this episode to talk further about how to bridge the empathy gap that reveals itself around issues ranging from Mideast side-taking to vaccines.

Mideast Turmoil: What’s Different This Time

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Where does Israel’s pursuit of Hamas go next, and what does it mean for the broader Israeli-Palestinian struggle? Ned Temko, a veteran Mideast-watcher, joins host Clay Collins to talk about a region that demands command of context to cover – let alone analyze – fairly. Ned offers a high-altitude look at how this latest round of violence has, in a way, returned the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to its deepest roots – but also is focusing eyes on the importance of attempting some form of political resolution.

Braving Rockets To Build Social Bonds

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A hot war in the Middle East rightly owns international headlines now. But Russia’s war on Ukraine continues to deeply affect daily lives – including those of the very young. This year, a third of Ukrainian students are going back to in-person classes full time, in places where their schools can be called relatively safe. Writer Dominique Soguel spoke to host Clay Collins about the work of reporting her recent story on Ukrainians’ resolve to give their children the human connection they need to thrive.