FREE SPEECH
That journalism can be a dangerous profession is not a new idea, but reporting in the field during a global pandemic has created a new risk for journalists, as for other essential workers. In March, the Press Emblem Campaign began keeping track of journalists who have died from Covid-19, and now reports that in 2020, at least 602 died in 59 countries, including 31 in the U.S., the eighth-worst country. (Peru had the most journalist deaths, 93, followed by India with 53.) An analysis by obituary reporter Kristen Hare for the Poynter Institute helps put that number in perspective: “That number might seem small compared to the death total in the U.S. alone, which is now more than 300,000. But compare it to the number of journalists killed worldwide while doing their work or in retribution for that work. The Committee to Protect Journalists reports 30 journalists were killed in 2020.” Most were infected in the course of their work.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“Yes it’s important to deal with wildfires and yes it’s important to deal with the pandemic, but that doesn’t mean all other business of the state has to stop.” - Assemblymember Mark Stone, D-Scotts Valley, reflecting on the 2020 legislative session.
GOOD WEEK / GREAT WEEK
GOOD:
2020 was difficult for condors – 11 perished in the Dolan Fire in Big Sur – but the year ended with some good news for the majestic birds. An important piece of condor habitat was preserved through a donation to Conservancy for the Range of the Condor, a Monterey-based land trust. The donation is comprised of two adjacent parcels in Big Sur totaling 137 acres and located on a ridgetop between Palo Colorado and Rocky Creek. “These parcels have great scenic value and we will see to it that they are not developed in any way,” Executive Director Don Gruber says. “The land was theoretically developable because though there are scenic easements on a lot of steep parts, the top parts on the ridge were open for residential development.” Estimates show the land could have fetched up to $2.5 million on the private market.
GREAT:
The pandemic shutdown has hit many industries hard, and the nonprofit sector is no exception. Many have been delivering essential services, while others have been forced to close without revenue this year. Enter the annual Monterey County Gives! campaign – a partnership between Monterey County Weekly, the Monterey Peninsula Foundation and Community Foundation for Monterey County – which despite the economic hardship of 2020 blew through its previous fundraising record, with 7,464 donors giving over $7.72 million to 162 local nonprofits. “Seeing this kind of increase, the recognition on the part of our donor community that these organizations are important to the well-being of our county, is a very positive reflection,” says Dan Baldwin, president/CEO of the Community Foundation.