A Journalist’s Struggle with Natural Disaster and Her

My first semester as editor-in-chief of the campus newspaper, The Ramapo News, was a busy one—we launched a website, we covered a presidential election, and we were forced to deal with Hurricane Sandy.

The superstorm hit the tri-state area on Sunday, October 28, and although we weren’t set to produce a paper until Thursday, one day after Halloween, I already had a bad feeling about making our deadline. Sandy downed trees, flooded streets, ruined beaches, and left millions without power. Although it made a relatively quick retreat, the hurricane left our area the massive job of literally picking up the pieces.

Thankfully, compared to places like the Jersey coast or New York City, Ramapo College residents who faced the storm on campus had it made. Students were quick to joke about Hurricane Sandy cancelling classes and giving us all another week to study for exams, finish papers, and sleep in past noon, but we were lucky to have electricity, Internet access, phone service, running water, and heat. Our dorms were dry and our paths were clear. We had dining options readily available and a place to purchase essentials. In short, we were much better off than most of our parents, professors, and commuting peers, some of whom were without electricity for up to two weeks.

As a student, I felt comfortable and safe, even as I watched the storm wreak havoc outside my dorm window and called home often to check on my family, who were clearly miserable being cold and in the dark. But as a student journalist, in the wake of Sandy’s disaster, I felt inadequate and worried about my place as a member of the news media. I wanted to do something to service

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our readership and combat the powerlessness and vulnerability I was feeling following such a tragedy, but I didn’t know what to do or how to do it. How should our small, weekly newspaper handle the storm? What responsibilities did we have to our readership to report on the campus, local, and national news?

I wrestled internally with these questions, all the while facing opposition from my parents (worrying it would be dangerous to be out late at night after a major hurricane) and from my close friends (complaining I worked too hard even in the middle of a raging storm). However, none of these “naysayers” really understood my perspective, probably because they are not journalists themselves and therefore did not understand my sense of duty to get the story to our readers. Nor did they focus on the fact that disaster represents an opportunity for journalists to prove their mettle.

I took inspiration from the industry professionals I have looked up to since first delving into the world of journalism back in high school. During the storm, and for several weeks after, it was nearly impossible not to notice the truly heroic Hurricane Sandy coverage that all of the network and local news outlets produced. On television, reporters, anchors, and meteorologists were on the air almost around the clock, bringing those who could tune in the latest storm news, all the while getting pelted with heavy winds and rains and shouting into their microphones to be heard over the storm’s roar. Of course, there was everybody behind the scenes to think about, too, those individuals whom you may not see but who have a hand in relaying the news—print journalists, web producers, radio personalities. Many of these people were working non-stop to put out the newest information, often under strained conditions. While government officials advised everyone else to stay inside, to skip work until the storm receded and normalcy was restored, these journalists were out on the front lines doing their jobs.

I decided that The Ramapo News had to do its job, too, with our storm coverage. After all, how could a staff of ten student journalists who actually had the means of producing a newspaper from start to finish—who had electricity, phone communication, strong wireless connections, and a space to meet and work—ignore how fortunate we were to be able to do so at Ramapo College? So we set out to put our Hurricane Sandy experiences into perspective.

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Being a weekly paper, we had the luxury of working several days after the storm to properly prepare our issue.

We had the time to do our best reporting, compile the strongest photos, and most importantly, adopt the right angle in our coverage. This caused me to drive myself even more to lead my staff to produce a meaningful “storm issue” of The Ramapo News. Inspired by the professionals, I wanted to play an important role in the storm coverage. Our newsroom that night was unusually quiet, probably because all of us were feeling the weight of our jobs. It was the only way we could think of to process and move forward after Sandy, and in doing so reduce feelings of vulnerability after a tragic disaster. Nurses and doctors cared for the sick and displaced, construction laborers repaired houses and rebuilt businesses, and as journalists we produced and delivered the news.

We chose a positive perspective in covering the storm. Yes, we printed a full-page spread of uprooted trees and damaged dorm siding, powerful images of the strong winds and heavy rains that battered our picturesque campus, but on the opposite page, an article on the superstorm’s path quoted students who recognized the College’s dedication to the safety of its students and staff. As a group, we even pooled our thoughts of appreciation and thanks to our administration for keeping us safe, and above all, allowing us journalists to keep doing what we love and feel meant to do (and thereby helping us cope with such a tragic natural disaster).

Looking back, the period when Hurricane Sandy blew through the northeast brings to mind, for many, terrible memories of days that were literally dark and cold. For some severely unfortunate others, forced to rebuild their homes, clean up their communities, and fight for better emergency response plans, this period is still not yet in the past. Yet for me, reflecting on my first true experience of a natural disaster, I feel a sense of accomplishment. As a student journalist, I was responsible for leading our staff in providing the paper’s community with the pertinent news of the week. The Ramapo News did so objectively and in a timely fashion. Furthermore, through our journalism, I was able to suppress my personal feelings of fear and vulnerability in the face of tragedy.

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