film by Marcus Harun

ESSENTIAL JOURNALISTS

How Coronavirus Changed TV News

film by Marcus Harun

ESSENTIAL JOURNALISTS

How Coronavirus Changed TV News

TV News Reporter working during COVID pandemic

film by Marcus Harun

ESSENTIAL JOURNALISTS

How Coronavirus Changed TV News

Watch The Trailer

The Coronavirus changed TV journalism in unprecedented ways: multi-million dollar productions anchored from kitchens, reporters social distancing, and newsrooms deserted; now we turn the cameras on the journalists to hear the emotional toll it takes to be essential workers.

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About The Film

  • Reporter working during COVID pandemic
  • Reporter working during COVID pandemic
  • Reporter working during COVID pandemic
  • Reporter working from home
  • Reporter working from home
  • Reporter working during COVID pandemic
  • Reporter working during COVID pandemic
  • Reporter with his grandmother
  • Journalism is the First Rough Draft of History
  • Producer Marcus Harun

Armed with 6-foot microphone poles, mask-clad reporters are filming interviews through windows to tell the stories of their communities, while worrying what illness they may bring back to their families. National news producer Marcus Harun remotely interviews dozens of journalists from across the country about how the coronavirus impacted their jobs and the frightening reality of heading out into the danger zone to report vital information to the public. Some of the country’s most-watched news programs are being broadcast out of the anchor’s basements as the industry adopted work-from-home plans for the first time. At the national level, CBS lost a producer to COVID-19 and NBC lost an audio technician; a CNN anchor continued to host his show while suffering from the virus. In local news, producers grapple with limited resources to telecommute and anchors struggle to babysit their children during live newscasts. This film about social distancing was produced, edited and completed all while social distancing from home in a New York apartment.

About The Producer

Marcus Harun is a journalist with experience working in ten newsrooms. He’s a news producer at MSNBC in New York, where he produces interviews with presidential candidates and congressional leaders and has written breaking news scripts for nearly every MSNBC anchor including Brian Williams, Craig Melvin, Andrea Mitchell, and Alicia Menendez. Before moving to New York, he worked in local news for five years. As Executive Producer of FOX Connecticut’s 7-hour morning show, he led a team of 25 reporters, anchors and producers and grew ratings 200% in one year. He earned an MBA and a BA in journalism from Quinnipiac University. He grew up in Hamden, CT and now lives in New Rochelle, NY with his wife, Rabiah.

MSNBC News Producer Marcus Harun

Interviews Featured in the Film

Map of Reporters featured in Essential Journalists
  • Ellen Crooke, Vice President of News, TEGNA
  • Rosanna Scotto, “Good Day New York” Co-host, WNYW-TV – New York, NY
  • Alicia Summers, Anchor, KFMB-TV – San Diego, CA
  • Samantha Bleiweis, Anchor, WIS-TV, Columbia, SC
  • Josh Helmuth, “Good Morning Colorado” Anchor, KRDO-TV – Colorado Springs, CO
  • Angie Sharp, Anchor, WQAD-TV – Moline, IL
  • María Vargas-Pion, Reporter, Noticias Telemundo Network
  • Kevin Rincon, Reporter, WCBS-TV – New York, NY
  • Michael Quander, Reporter, WUSA-TV – Washington, DC
  • Amanda Hoskins, Reporter, WJAR-TV – Providence, RI
  • Ty Milburn, Reporter, News 12 Networks – Yonkers, NY
  • Natalie Hee, Reporter, KRIV-TV – Houston, TX
  • Evan Axelbank, Reporter, WTVT-TV – Tampa Bay, FL
  • Fabiola Ramirez, Reporter, KSEE-TV/KGPE-TV – Fresno, CA
  • Erika Ferrando, Reporter, WWL-TV – New Orleans, LA
  • Mercedes Williams, Reporter, Spectrum News Albany – Albany, NY
  • Madison Weil, Reporter, KESQ-TV – Palm Springs, CA
  • Stephen Jiwanmall, Reporter, WLVT-TV – Allentown, PA
  • Sarah Grimmer, Reporter, WXMI-TV – Grand Rapids, MI
  • Michelle Ross, Reporter, News 12 – Bronx, NY
  • Christian Colón, Reporter, KRGV-TV – Weslaco, TX
  • Angelique Arintok, Multimedia Journalist, WCYB-TV – Bristol, VA
  • Kate Cagle, Multimedia Journalist, Spectrum News 1 SoCal – Los Angeles, CA
  • Amanda Lee, Multimedia Journalist, WTAJ-TV – Altoona, PA
  • Stephanie Beck, Producer, WRAL-TV – Raleigh, NC
  • Karley Cross, Producer, KTVL-TV – Medford, OR
  • Elizabeth Gabbert, Producer, WCYB-TV – Bristol, VA
  • Ryan Hudgins, Photographer, KSEE-TV/KGPE-TV – Fresno, CA
  • Kenn Venit, News consultant / Former Anchor, WTNH-TV – Hamden, CT
  • Marcella Baietto, Graduate Student, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University- Phoenix, AZ
  • Laura Frank, Executive Director, Colorado News Collaborative – Denver, CO
  • Chris Velardi, Professor, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University & Former Anchor, WTNH-TV – Syracuse, NY
  • Frank Mungeam, Knight Professor of Practice – TV News Innovation, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Arizona State University – Phoenix, AZ
  • Ben Bogardus, Assistant Professor of Journalism at Quinnipiac University – Hamden, CT

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